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| LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. ' 



-§44 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



A SERIES 

OF 

REVIVAL SERMONS 



BY THE *y 

Rev. DANIEL BAKER, 

FORMERLY PASTOR OF SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, WASHINGTON CITY, 
NOW OF HOLLY SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPI. 




WITH AN 

APPENDIX. 

f * 1890 # h 

PUBLISHED BY THE REV. J. S. BAKER, 
PENNFIELD, GEO. 

1847. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1846, 
BY WILLIAM S. MARTIEN, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District 
of Pennsylvania. 



CONTENTS. 



SERMON I. 

Truth and Excellence of the Christian Religion 9 

SERMON II. , 
The Greatness of God 43 

0 

SERMON III. 

Christ the Mediator . . - 68 

SERMON IV. 

The Uses of the Law 106 

SERMON V. 

The Sinner Weighed and found Wanting 131 

SERMON VI. 

The Character and Reward of the Earthly Minded .... 158 
SERMON VII. 

The Deluge 188 

SERMON VIII. 
War in Heaven . 212 



8 CONTENTS. 



SERMON IX. 

On. Seeking the Lord 235 

SERMON X. 

The Duty of Coming to Christ 262 

SERMON XI. 

Vain Excuses 286 

SERMON XII. 

Idleness Reproved 317 

APPENDIX. 

* Letter to a Christian Brother in New York 351 

Interesting Recollections 362 



REVIVAL SERMONS. 



SERMON I 

THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 

Their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being- 
judges. — Deut. xxxii. 31. 

These words form a part of what is usually 
denominated "the Song of Moses." It is a 
poem of singular beauty; and, by the best 
judges, is supposed to contain a specimen of 
almost every species of excellence in compo- 
sition. It opens with a sublime invocation 
of the heavens and the earth ; evidently de- 
signed to convey a strong idea of the pecu- 
liar importance of the subject matter of the 
poem. The sacred writer speaks sublimely 
of Israel's God : "Ascribe ye greatness unto 
our God," says he. "He is the Rock ; his 
work is perfect, for all his ways are judgment ; 
a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and 
right is he." The author of the poem then 
2 



10 THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE 

adverts to some instances of God's providen- 
tial care exercised over, the tribes of Israel, 
particularly in conducting them ? as on the 
wings of an eagle, towards the promised land. 
"As an eagle," says he, "stirreth up her nest ; 
nuttereth over her young ; spreadeth abroad 
her wings ; taketh them ; beareth them on her 
wings, so the Lord alone did lead him, and 
there was no strange god with him." This 
idea of the tribes of Israel being conducted 
out of Egypt, towards the promised land, as 
upon the wings of an eagle, is one of great 
sublimity, particularly, taken in connection 
with these words — "I kill, and I make alive ; 
I wound and I heal ; neither is there any that 
can deliver out of my hand ; for I lift my hand 
to heaven, and say, I live for ever." In com- 
parison with such a God, the idol gods of the 
heathen were emphatically, "vanity and a 
lie." No wonder, then, that Moses here in- 
dulges in the feelings of joy and triumph ; no 
wonder that he uses the exulting language of 
our text ; "Their rock is not as our Rock, even 
our enemies themselves being judges." Mark 
the expression ! even our enemies themselves be- 
ing judges. Moses adverts, it seems, to some 
well known instances, in which the superi- 
ority of Israel's God was acknowledged, even 
by those who served other gods, which indeed 
were no gods. This acknowledgment, it will 
be recollected, was made by the magicians of 



OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 11 

Egypt, when, utterly unable to resist the 
miracles wrought by Moses, the servant of the 
true God, they exclaimed, "This is the ringer 
of God !" — that is, this miracle comes from the 
true God! This acknowledgment was also 
made by the horsemen of Pharaoh, when, ter- 
ror-stricken in the Red Sea, they cried out 
one to another, saying, "Let us flee from the 
face of Israel, for their God fighteth for them, 
against the Egyptians." It was, it seems, in 
reference to these, and similar cases, that 
Moses uses the exulting language of our text ; 
"Their rock is not as our Rock, even our ene- 
mies themselves being judges." 

And now, my brethren, permit me to apply 
the passage before us to a class of persons not 
entirely dissimilar. I mean to those ranged 
under the banner of infidelity. Rejecting the 
sacred volume, they have a system of their own, 
(if system it may be called.) Now, in refer- 
ence to them, and their system, I feel very free 
to apply the language of our text ; "Their 
rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies 
themselves being judges." It maybe thought 
by some present, that the speaker is not happy 
in the selection of his subject this day, as 
there is, perhaps, not an avowed infidel in this 
assembly. But, suppose there be no avowed 
infidel present, there may be many spiced 
with infidelity ; and amongst them, perhaps, 
some interesting young men, who, in their 



12 THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE 

reading, and travels, have had infidel cavils 
and objections brought before their minds, 
which they know not how to meet, the result 
is, they have become skeptical. This they are 
not exactly willing to confess, lest, perchance, 
it might reach a mother's ear, and pain a mo- 
ther's heart ! — but, the seeds of infidelity are 
there ; and, so long as they exist in the bosom, 
they operate as serious barriers in the way of 
the soul's salvation. This being the case, it is 
proper that, occasionally, at least, the evi- 
dences of our holy religion should be laid be- 
fore every congregation. Those ranged under 
the banner of infidelity may plume them- 
selves upon their wisdom, and the great supe- 
riority of their discoveries, but, thank God! 
we, who are Christians, occupy better ground 
than they do ; and may well say, with Moses, 
in the joy and triumph of our hearts — "their 
rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies 
themselves being judges." 

The supreme excellence, and great superi- 
ority of the Christian religion, will appear, I 
think, very clearly, in the three following par- 
ticulars : 

I. In the matter of evidence. 
II. In reference to the moral influence, and 
III. In relation to the happiness of man. 

I. In the matter of evidence. Yes, my bre- 
thren, whatever witlings and infidels may say 



OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 13 



to the contrary, it is a stubborn fact, that this 
blessed volume, called the Bible, comes to us 
with credentials clear ! 

" on every line 

Marked with the seal of high divinity ; 
On every leaf bedewed with drops 
Of love divine, and, with the eternal heraldry 
And signature of God Almighty stamped 
From first to last." 

Yet the infidel rejects the sacred volume ! 
and why ? O ! because he is a very reason- 
able man, and cannot, forsooth, without a pros- 
tration of every thing like reason, embrace a 
system so preposterous and absurd ! Now let 
sound reasonings and facts be submitted to 
this enlightened and candid assembly. 

1. If there be no divine revelation, as infi- 
dels are wont to affirm, herein is a marvellous 
thing, that there should be none ! And why ? 
For many reasons. One is this : There are 
certain questions propounded by human na- 
ture itself, weighty and important questions, 
and, which, in the very nature of the case, 
never can be answered without a divine reve- 
lation. For example. Where is God, my 
Maker ?— The author of my being, who is he ? 
and what is he ? It will be recollected that 
this question was asked by Dyonisius, the 
tyrant of Syracuse, to Simonides, one of the 
seven wise men of Greece. The philosopher 
requested one day to think upon the subject : 
2* 



14 THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE 



at the expiration of that period he demanded 
two days, and then four ! doubling the time- 
When asked, why he demanded so much 
time, he replied, " Sire, the longer 1 think 
upon this subject, the more I am lost in its dif- 
ficulty and immensity." In the very nature of 
the case, it is none but God that can reveal 
God ; and yet, the infidel scouts the idea of the 
Scriptures having been divinely inspired ! and 
he, a reasonable man ! But another question 
propounded by human nature, is this : How 
can a man be just with God 1 How can a man, 
who is a sinner, obtain the forgiveness of his 
sins, and be restored to the favour of his Ma- 
ker? This, my brethren, believe me, has for 
ages and ages been one of the most confound- 
ing and perplexing questions ever presented to 
the mind of man. Heathen sages, and some of 
the wise ones of the earth at the present day, 
talk about penances and pilgrimages, bloody 
sacrifices, costly offerings, repentance and re- 
formation, and many such like things. But it 
is all conjecture ; and, in a matter of such im- 
mense importance, I want something better 
than conjecture. I am a sinner. I feel it, and, 
troubled on account of my sins, I ask, with 
trepidation — How can a man be just with 
God? How can I, a poor, burdened sinner, 
obtain the forgiveness of my sin, and be re- 
stored to the favour of my God ? I listen, and 
there is no response ! There can be none, save 



OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 15 



from trie throne of God ! — and, without it, I 
live in darkness : I die in gloom, and, sinking 
in the cold embrace of death, I have only to 
say, with the dying Adrian, " Alas ! my trem- 
bling, dear, departing soul, whither art thou 
going?" I say, there can be no response, to 
satisfy the troubled conscience, save from the 
throne of God. The case is clear. Take this 
illustration. I have injured you : upon reflec- 
tion, I am very sorry for it, and I wish to 
know on what terms I may be restored to 
your favour. Shall I ask one of your ser- 
vants ? He knows nothing at all about the 
matter. He can give nothing better than con- 
jecture. You, my dear sir, the person injured, 
you only can tell me on what terms I may be 
restored to your favour. Even so, in the very 
nature of the case, it is none but God, himself, 
who can satisfactorily answer the question. 
How can a man be just with God ? — and yet 
the infidel laughs at the idea of a divine reve- 
lation ! and plumes himself upon being a rea- 
sonable man ! Not so very reasonable after 
all ! Mark my word — not so very reasonable 
after all ! But, 

2. If the Bible be not divinely inspired, 
herein is another marvellous thing to be ac- 
counted for, that some how or other this bless- 
ed volume answers all the purposes of a divine 
revelation. To say nothing of its giving an 
account, and the only rational account, of the 



16 THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE 



creation of the world ; of the origin of sin ; of 
the division of time into weeks of seven days ; 
of the deluge ; and other matters connected 
with the early history of the globe — is it not 
remarkable, that the Bible answers most clear- 
ly and satisfactorily the questions propounded, 
as we have stated, by human nature itself? 
Take the first question, Where is God my 
Maker ? or what is God ? You recollect the 
reply of Simonides to the monarch who pro- 
pounded to him the question, " Sire, the more 
I think upon this subject, the more I am lost 
in its difficulty and immensity." Now, ask 
the disciple whom Jesus loved the same ques- 
tion — John, what is God ? " God is Love," says 
he. How beautiful ! how sublime ! But if you 
wish a more extended view of the Divine char- 
acter, according to the Scriptures, "God is a 
Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in 
his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, 
goodness and truth." Can any description of 
the Supreme Being be nobler and more perfect 
than this 1 And, being drawn from the Bible, 
is not this "a stamp divine ?" Are not these 
"credentials clear V And yet the infidel re- 
jects the sacred volume ! and, doubtless, he is 
a very reasonable man. In intellect, a son of 
Anak ! head and shoulders taller than all 
around him! "O shame ! where is thy blush." 

But another question, as we have said, which 
human nature asks with well grounded solici- 



OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 17 



tilde, is this — How can a man be just with God? 
How can a man, who is a sinner, obtain the for- 
giveness of his sins, and be restored to the favour 
of his Maker? Sages of ancient times, and wise 
ones of the present day, will talk, as we have 
said, about the merit of penances and pilgrim- 
ages ; and lay great stress upon the efficacy of 
repentance and reformation ; but these things 
have no divine warrant ; they are at best, 
only matters of conjecture, and all the evidence 
of analogy is against them. Here is a man 
who, by a course of licentious indulgences and 
extravagance, has lost his health and property ; 
and I find that neither penances, nor pilgrim- 
ages, nor repentance, nor reformation, nor all 
of them united, will remove the effects of his 
licentiousness and extravagance ; how do I 
know, then, that they can remove the penal 
consequences of sin ? In the very nature of 
the case, none but God can tell on what terms 
he will pardon the sinner, and receive him to 
favour ; for none but he can tell what the hon- 
our of the Divine government may require, or 
how the punishment of the offender can be re- 
mitted, without endangering the tranquillity of 
other worlds, and creatures which he has made. 
Now, on the subject of forgiveness, and restora- 
tion to the favour of God, the Bible is remark- 
ably clear, and full, and express. Thus Paul, 
addressing the men of Antioch, says, Be it 
known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, 



IS 



THE TRUTH AXD EXCELLENCE 



that through, this man, Christ Jesus, is preach- 
ed unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by 
him, all that believe, are justified from all 
things, from which ye could not be justified, 
by the law of Moses. Again, writing to Tim- 
othy, he says, It is a faithful saying, and 
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus 
came into the world to save sinners, of whom I 
am chief. . And again : writing to the Romans, 
we find linn using this language, Therefore, 
being justified by faith, we have pea.ce with 
God, through our Lord Jesus Christ ; by 
whom also we have received the atonement. 
And again ; There is, therefore, now, no com 
demnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, 
who walk, not after the flesh, but after the 
Spirit And all this beautifully harmonizing 
with the words of the Lord Jesus Christ him- 
self — God so loved the world, that he gave his 
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in 
him should not perish, but have everlasting 
life. How delightful are these declarations! 
what light do they give to the inquiring sin- 
ner ! what sweet relief to the burdened soul! 

3. If the Bible be not divinely inspired, here 
is another marvellous thing, that it furnishes a 
perfect code of moral precepts. In this, it is 
perfectly unique, and stands alone in its glory! 
for I am bold to say, that there is no other vo- 
lume upon the face of the earth which furnish- 
es such a code of precepts. Those acquainted 



OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 19 

with the writings of heathen sages and moral- 
ists, know full well, that their ideas on the 
subject of moral obligation, are remarkably 
crude ; some sanctioning suicide, and some in- 
fanticide ; and, even the enlightened and com- 
paratively virtuous Cicero, says, "It is lawful 
to fight for glory." And what is this, but 
sanctioning ambition ? Ambition ! the direct 
tendency of which is to drench the earth in 
blood, and fill the world with widows and or- 
phans ! The Bible, thank God, teaches a purer 
and better morality than this ! We said that it 
furnishes a perfect code of moral precepts. 
We do not declaim, we give proof, absolute 
demonstration. Our Saviour sums up all the 
precepts of the sacred volume, in two great 
commandments. First, Thou shalt love the 
Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and soul, 
and mind, and strength ; and Secondly, Thou 
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Now 
these two commandments embrace every duty 
that can be required of man. Take the first. 
We are to love the Lord our God supremely; 
see how this embraces every duty which we 
owe to our Maker. For example, I am required 
to submit to God ? How easy, and how na- 
tural it is to submit to one whom we supreme- 
ly love ! Am I required to repent of my sins ? 
It is love which breaks the heart ; which melts 
it down in tender relentings for sin ! Am I 
required to choose God as the portion of my 



20 



THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE 



soul ? If I love liim supremely, I have done 
it already. Am I required to obey all his com- 
mandments ? And who does not know that, 

" 'Tis love which makes our cheerful feet, 
In swift obedience move." 

Take the second great commandment, Thou 
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Only let 
this precept be acted upon, in all the length and 
breadth of its requirement ; and, verily, there 
would be no occasion for bolts, nor bars, nor 
jails, nor penitentiaries, nor any thing of the 
kind. Love, says the apostle, worketh no ill 
to his neighbour, therefore love is the fulfilling 
of the law. Yes, only let the great law of love 
be acted upon, in all the length and breadth 
of its requirements, and man would become 
an angel, and earth a paradise ! To crown 
the whole, strange as it may seem, all duties 
both toward God and man, are, in the Bible, 
embraced in a single word! and that, how 
simple ! how well understood, by the learned 
and the unlearned — by the civilized, by the 
barbarian'; by male and female ; by the child 
of three years of age, and the man of threescore 
and ten ! — love ! for love says the apostle, is the 
fulfilling of the law. Is not this a stamp di- 
vine? Are not these credentials clear? Yet 
the infidel rejects the Bible ! Let him write a 
better book, if he can ! And this reminds me 
of the case of Lord Lyttleton, who, belonging 



01* THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 21 

to a club of infidels, was pitched upon to bum 
the Bible. Taking the volume in his hand, 
he approached the hearth, but upon second 
thought, returned and replaced the book upon 
the stand. When asked why he did not throw 
it into the fire 1 he made this very sensible re- 
mark, "We will not burn this book until we 
can get a better." Verily, "their rock is not 
as our Rock, even our enemies themselves be- 
ing judges." Again : 

4. If the Bible be not divinely inspired, is it 
not very strange and unaccountable that so 
many miracles were wrought in illustration of 
its truths ? — Miracles wrought in open day ; in 
the presence of enemies ; and subjected to the 
severest scrutiny. Now, either these miracles 
were wrought or they were not : if wrought, 
the case is settled ; for they are the clearest 
credentials of the divine mission of those who 
wrought them. If not wrought, how comes it 
to pass, that we have such a particular and de- 
tailed account of them ? How comes it to pass, 
that they were attested by so many eye-wit- 
nesses, many of whom suffered martyrdom, in 
attestation of the facts which they affirmed ? 
Moreover, how comes it to pass, that these 
miracles had so powerful an influence in the 
spreading of doctrines, so directly opposed to 
long established systems and the passions of 
men ? And, let it not be forgotten, that, in 
commemoration of some of these miracles, we 
3 



22 THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE 



have monuments and memorials, brought down 
even to the present time : the Sabbath, for ex- 
ample, changed from the seventh to the first 
day of the week, to commemorate the resurrec- 
tion of Christ from the dead. As the annual 
celebration of our national independence, is a 
memorial and proof of the fact which it com- 
memorates, even so the present observance of 
the Christian Sabbath is a standing monument 
of that stupendous miracle, the resurrection of 
Christ, which it commemorates. And yet the 
infidel wants proof! — Once more : 

5. If the blessed volume before me be not 
divinely inspired, how shall we account for the 
fact that it contains some five or six hundred 
prophecies which have been most literally and 
remarkably fulfilled? and which, I presume, no 
one who has a regard for his reputation, as a 
scholar, will dare to deny ! Here, a wide field 
is presented to our view — we have not time to 
expose it very extensively — let me present only 
a few prophecies, as a specimen of the rest. 
Some three thousand years ago, it was pre- 
dicted that the Jews should be a peculiar peo- 
ple. Have they not been a peculiar people, for 
many ages past? Are they not a peculiar 
people, at the present time ? It was predicted 
that they should be scattered over the face of 
the earth ! And where is the kingdom, under 
heaven, where some of this peculiar people are 
not found ? It was predicted that they should 



OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 23 

be oppressed and peeled ; and, those who are 
acquainted with their history know that this 
prediction also, has been most remarkably ful- 
filled. It was predicted that they should dwell 
alone and not be reckoned among the nations ; 
and are they not at this very day, although 
scattered over the face of the whole eai;th, yet 
really a distinct people, isolated and alone? 
"The children of Israel," says the prophet Ho- 
se a, "shall abide many days without a king; 
and without a prince ; and without a sacrifice ; 
and without an image ; and without an ephod ; 
and without teraphim." Hos. iii. 4. And is 
not this their precise condition at the present 
moment? And have they not already con- 
tinued thus to abide, lo ! these many days? By 
estimation there are, at this time, about eight 
millions of Jews upon the earth ; a sufficient 
number to form a powerful empire, or more 
glorious republic ; and yet they have no king, 
no prince, no polity, no government of their 
own, and this has been the case for eighteen 
hundred years ! How astonishing are these 
prophecies, and how exact their fulfilment! 
and how certainly true are the words of the 
apostle Peter : " Prophecy came not in old time 
by the will of man, but holy men of God spake 
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Of 
Ishmael it was predicted, that he should be- 
come a great nation; that he should be a wild 
man, and that his hand should be against every 



24 



THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE 



man, and every man's hand against him; and 
that he should dwell in the presence of all his 
brethren; Gen. xvi. 12; that is, should never 
be subdued, or brought into subjection. Those 
acquainted with the Arabs, know that these 
predictions have been fulfilled to the very let- 
ter; and with regard to the independence 
which they should ever maintain, it is remark- 
able, that, although special efforts have been 
made by powerful monarchs, in various ages, 
to put them down, these efforts have all, ulti- 
mately, proved luisuccessful ! Sesostris, Cyrus, 
Pompey, Trajan, and many other great con- 
querors, aimed at subjugating them, but never 
succeeded! At the present day, the Arabs, 
although wandering and predatory, are still an 
independent people ; like the wild ass, whose 
home is the wilderness; whose pasture is the 
mountains; and who searcheth after every 
green thing. The prophecies in relation to 
Nineveh, Babylon, Tyre, and Egypt, have also 
received their most exact accomplishment — 
their present condition, according to the state- 
ments of modern travellers, being precisely 
what was predicted so many thousand years 
ago. With regard to Egypt, I will mention a 
fact which may have escaped the notice of 
some: Egypt, says the prophet Ezekiel, (xxix. 
15,) shall never exalt itself any more over the 
nations. This was a bold prophecy when we 
consider when it was uttered; but the subse- 



OF THE CHRISTIA.N RELIGION. 25 

quent history of Egypt has been in exact ac- 
cordance with the prediction. But the particu- 
lar point to which I refer is this : Some three 
or four years since, Mehemet Ali, the Pacha 
of Egypt, was upon the very point of subvert- 
ing the Turkish empire ; and would have done 
it, had not the sovereigns of Russia, Prussia, 
Austria, and Great Britain interposed. And 
this they did, mark! not to accomplish the 
prophecy, but to preserve the balance of power. 
The prophecies which relate to the Messiah 
are about two hundred in number, which have 
in every particular been exactly fulfilled, in 
our blessed Redeemer. Let me mention only 
a very few.* It was predicted of him that he 
should be despised and rejected by his own 
people, the Jews; that he should lift up a 
standard to the Gentiles; to him should the 
gathering of the Gentiles be ; and in him shall 
the Gentiles trust. Now this is prophecy. 
What is history? In exact accordance with 
the prophecy. Was Christ to be despised and 
rejected by his own people, the Jews? He 
came unto his own, says John, and his own 
received him not. And they, that is, the Jews, 
says Luke, were instant with loud voices in 
the temple, requiring that he might be cruci- 
fied. Was Christ to lift up a standard to the 
Gentiles? and was not Saul of Tarsus con- 

# Isaiah liii. 3. xlix. 22. Gen. xlix 10. xi. 10. Mat. xii. 21. 
3* 



26 THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE 



verted, and made the great apostle of the Gen- 
tiles? Moreover, to him was the gathering of 
the Gentiles to be. And who are they now, 
who profess the Christian faith? Are they not 
Gentiles? Few Jews, but many Gentiles! On 
the morning of the Christian Sabbath, the 
doors of ten thousand sanctuaries are thrown 
open, and see the multitudes who gather around 
the standard of the cross ! Are they Jews? are 
they not Gentiles? But it is added: In him 
shall the Gentiles trust. We are all Gentiles, 
I suppose, who are here to-day; and now tell 
me, my brother, my sister — O ye precious sons 
and daughters of Zion! tell me, in whom do 
you trust for salvation? Is it not in the cruci- 
fied Nazarene? And in whom did that dear 
mother of yours trust in a dying hour, when 
she so sweetly smiled, and said to you, "Meet 
me in heaven" — in whom did she trust? Was 
it not in him who by the Jews was despised 
and rejected? I too am a Gentile, and I am not 
ashamed to say, that this same blessed Saviour 
is my only hope. Give me Christ or else I 
die ! This day, then, have we evidence before 
our own eyes, and in our own hearts, that the 
prophecies are true, and the Bible is true. Yet 
the infidel rejects the sacred volume ! And 
why? O! because- he is a reasonable man, 
and he cannot, without a prostration of every 
thing like reason, embrace a system so prepos- 
terous and absurd! Ah! If I mistake not, 



OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 27 



when afflictions shall make him more sober, 
and the near prospect of death- shall make him 
more thoughtful, he will then see the evidence 
of the truth of the Bible more clearly than he 
does now! Like Ethan Allen, who, being 
asked by a dying daughter whether she should 
believe what her pious mother had taught her, 
or he? replied, with tears, "My daughter, you 
had better believe what your mother has taught 
you." O how plain it is, and how appropriate 
is our text: "Their rock is not as our Rock, 
even our enemies themselves being judges." 

II. The supreme excellence or decided supe- 
riority of the Christian religion, appears also in 
reference to its moral influence. And here, if I 
mistake not, we have public sentiment fully on 
our side : let a thorough-going infidel be truly 
converted, and become a real Christian; will 
not all persons expect to see an improvement 
in his moral character? but, on the other hand, 
let a real Christian (if it were possible) become 
a thorough-going infidel, and is there a man 
upon the face of the earth who anticipates an 
improvement in his moral character? Would 
there not rather be a suspicion waked up in the 
bosoms of all that that man has become loose 
in his morals, and, therefore, has become loose 
in his sentiments ? Even the infidel himself is 
frequently constrained to pay homage to the 
Christian system, in relation to its moral influ- 
ence. For example — here is an infidel about to 



28 THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE 



die: he makes his will, and, greatly desiring 
that his children shonld not be defrauded, he 
wishes to fix upon some honest man to act as 
executor ; would he not rather select a man that 
he believes to be a real and consistent Christian, 
than an open and avowed infidel? Now these 
things speak volumes. The fact is, the general 
sentiment is this, that however imperfect some 
professors of religion may be, yet Christianity 
itself is most excellent; that it elevates the 
standard of morals, and has a direct and pow- 
erful tendency to purify the heart and improve 
the character of all who are really and truly 
brought under its moral influence ; and hence it 
is expected to make better husbands and better 
wives, better parents and better children, better 
masters and better servants ; yea, better alto- 
gether. This is the general sentiment; and I 
will now show that this general sentiment is 
well based. This we would argue from the 
character of its precepts, and the power of its 
motives.* First, from the character of its pre- 
cepts. — It is evident, the more perfect the pre- 
cepts, the more happy their influence upon moral 
character. We have shown that the precepts of 
the Bible bear the stamp of absolute perfection ; 
of course, then, so far as good precepts can in- 
fluence the character of man, the influence of 
the precepts of the sacred volume must be most 
happy. But to place this in, perhaps, a stronger 
point of light, observe, there are three principles 



OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 29 

of action — fear, interest, and love. Fear, as a 
principle of action, is certainly very powerful ; 
but it operates only whilst the rod is extended. 
Interest is also a very powerful principle, but 
this principle is not strong enough to meet many 
cases ; for a man may know what is right, yet 
do what is wrong ; he may know that a certain 
course of conduct will promote his highest in- 
terests, but the principle of interest fails to rule 
him, not being strong enough. But there is one 
principle yet remaining, love ; and that we may 
understand its true nature and power, see that 
tender mother — she has a beloved Joseph, or 
some dear little Benjamin, who is very, very 
sick. See the mother of that child ! I can tell 
you where you can find her, by night and by 
day ; — not in the store, not in her neighbour's 
house, nor even in the sanctuary ; no ! but by 
the couch of her suffering child ! This mother is 
a lady, born in affluence, and delicately brought 
up ; and yet, only see, how kind and unremit- 
ting she is in her attentions to her suffering 
child ! She is a lady, I say, born in affluence, 
and tenderly brought up, and yet she even takes 
a positive pleasure in performing the most me- 
nial offices for her poor little darling. Now 
what is it that binds this mother to the couch of 
her suffering child 1 What is it that makes her 
so kind and unremitting in her attentions ? Is it 
fear? There is no rod over her. Is it interest ? 
The idea of interest never once enters her mind- 



30 THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE 



What is it then ? Why it is love ! Yes, it is 
love, which binds her to the couch of her suffer- 
ing child. It is love which makes her take a 
positive pleasure in performing the most menial 
offices for the poor little sufferer. Take away 
that mother (it will require a strong arm to do 
this !) — reach outthe arm of a Hercules, and tear 
away that mother — substitute a hireling. Bring 
rewards and punishments to bear upon that hire- 
ling, to their greatest possible extent, and I will 
venture to affirm, that there is no hireling on 
earth that will take a mother's place! And why? 
For this simple reason — the mother is under 
the influence of the strongest feeling which can 
animate the human bosom — love. Verily there 
is no principle of action like it, so strong, so uni- 
form, so lasting ! and, moreover, who does not 
know that the service which love prompts, is of 
all others the most pleasant and desirable ? 
Now is it not remarkable that, in our religion, 
this is made the great principle of moral action. 
Yes, not fear, nor interest, but love. Love, 
says the apostle, is the fulfilling of the law. 
And to make the matter yet more remarkable, 
this principle being fixed upon, to wake it up 
and give it new power and energy over the 
human soul, God himself has set us an example 
of love in giving his Son, his only begotten and 
well-beloved Son, to die for our redemption. 
And now, candid man, speak ! Does not this 
look like a religion which comes from God? If 



OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 31 



any religion can have a happy influence upon 
moral character, must it not be that religion, 
all the precepts of which are summed up in 
love? Yet the infidel wants proof! ! 

With regard to the motives which are, in the 
Bible, brought to bear upon the moral character 
of man, they are absolutely the strongest which 
can exist. This is no rhetorical figure, no idle 
declamation; it is simple, undeniable fact. Here 
is the demonstration. Are the motives to vir- 
tuous living drawn in the Scriptures, from God? 
They are ; and now, is there any god in the 
universe greater than the God whom the Bible 
reveals? Are they drawn from the joys of hea- 
ven? They are ; and are there any joys greater 
than the joys of heaven? Are they drawn from 
the torments of the damned in hell? They are ; 
and are there any torments more tormenting 
than the torments of the damned in hell? Are 
they drawn from the love of Christ ? They are ; 
and is there any love so strong, so touching, so 
soul-subduing, as the love of Christ, who, ac- 
cording to the Scriptures, died on the cross for 
us? Are the motives drawn from eternity! 
They are ; and is there any duration longer 
than that of eternity ? Thus you perceive that 
the motives to holy living, in the Bible, are not 
only drawn from three worlds, heaven, earth 
and hell, in short, from all quarters, but they 
are literally and absolutely the strongest which, 
in the very nature of the case, can be brought 



32 THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE 

to bear upon the moral character of man. The 
fact is, Christianity goes in advance, lays the 
hand of a master upon every source of motive, 
and monopolizes them all. And now, suppose 
infidelity would urge motives to holy living, 
(which, however, is not very probable,) whence 
will it derive its motives ? From God? The 
infidel is not very certain that there is a God. 
Will infidelity draw its motives from the joys 
of heaven? These he suspects, are only the 
dreams of the visionary enthusiast. Shall mo- 
tives be drawn from the torments of hell ? The 
infidel is quite sure that there is no such place 
as that. Shall motives be drawn from love ? 
Alas ! infidelity presents, in its system, no dy- 
ing Saviour, no cross crimsoned with atoning 
blood ! Shall the motives then be drawn from 
eternity? The infidel strongly suspects that 
death is an eternal sleep. O, what a poor 
thing infidelity is, when seen in the undress of 
its true character ! How lean ! how haggard ! 
how shrivelled ! aye, and may I not add, how 
frightful, too ! I have mentioned, that if Chris- 
tianity should universally prevail, if its pre- 
cepts were acted upon in all the length and 
breadth of their requirements, there would be 
no occasion for bolts, nor bars, nor jails, nor 
penitentiaries, nor anything of the kind, for man 
would become as an angel, and earth as a para- 
dise. But if, on the other hand, infidelity should 
prevail, does any man in his senses believe that 
there would be no occasion for bolts, nor bars, 



OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 33 



nor jails, nor penitentiaries, nor any thing of the 
kind ? — that man would become as an angel, or 
earth as a paradise ? I think not. In the provi- 
dence of God infidelity did once prevail — where? 
In revolutionary France — when ? During that 
period so properly called "the reign of terror." 
Yes, infidelity did then prevail, for at that time 
the National Convention decreed that there was 
no God. The Sabbath was abolished; churches 
were turned into temples of reason ; death was 
declared to be an eternal sleep ; and the Bible 
was dragged along the streets of Lyons in away 
of derision and contempt. Yes, I repeat it, infi- 
delity then prevailed, and verily its fruits were 
the fruits of Sodom, and its clusters the clusters 
of Gomorrah. Infidelity then reigned, and most 
frightful was its reign. Its crown was terror, 
its throne, the guillotine ; its sceptre, the battle- 
axe ; its palace-yard, a field of blood; and its 
royal robes dripped, and dripped, and dripped 
with human gore. All France was, as it were, 
one vast slaughter-house, and the rulers of 
France, as demons from the bottomless pit. "O, 
my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto 
their assembly, mine honor, be not thou 
united." "Their rock is not as our Rock, even 
our enemies themselves being judges." But, 
III. The supreme excellence, and decided 
superiority of the Christian religion appears 
in reference to the happiness of man. What 
has a favourable influence upon human charac- 



34 THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE 



ter, must also have a favourable influence upon 
human happiness, for these things are linked 
together like the balloon and its car : the as- 
cent of the one, necessarily leads to the eleva- 
tion of the other. That the Christian religion 
is favourable to human happiness, is, I believe, 
the secret conviction, even of many who may 
not openly confess it ; hence it is no uncommon 
thing to hear even the openly wicked say, "I 
believe that the real Christian is the happiest 
man in the world:" and I recollect the remark 
of a certain sceptic, made to myself, (it was in 
the hour of affliction), "O sir, you Christians 
have the advantage of l usF" I think I may 
venture then to affirm, that general sentiment 
is on our side ; and I think I can show that 
this general sentiment is well based, for what 
does the Christian religion do ? It subdues the 
boisterous passions of the soul ; converts the 
lion into a lamb ; the vulture into a dove : 
must not this be favourable to human happi- 
ness? What does the Christian religion do? 
It gives exercise to gracious affections. In- 
stead of encouraging anger, wrath, malice, re- 
venge, and other hateful and soul-tormenting 
passions, it disposes its subject to be kind, 
gentle, affectionate, and forgiving ; and must 
not this be favourable to human happiness? 
What does the Christian religion do ? It sheds 
abroad a Saviour's love in the heart; gives the 
sweet assurance that our sins are all forgiven 



OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 35 



for Jesus' sake ; that the eternal God is our 
Father; that heaven is our home; and that, if 
the earthly house of this our tabernacle were 
dissolved, we should have a building of God, 
a house not made with hands, eternal and on 
high. O, it is a blessed thing to be a Chris- 
tian; even "if it be a delusion," as one remarks, 
"it is a sweet delusion," and, "if false no truth 
so precious as the lie." O see the young con- 
"vert, whose evidences are bright and clear 
how happy ! and see the dying Christian, who 
leaves the world in the full hope of glory, how 
triumphant ! The Pentecostal converts, we are 
told, did eat their meat with gladness and 
singleness of heart, praising God. And when 
many believed in Samaria, we also learn, that 
there was great joy in that city. And the 
beauty of the thing is this, that when afflic- 
tions came, and comforts are most needed, then 
the consolations of religion are strongest and 
most abundant ; for religion teaches every child 
of God, that afflictions are all ordered in mer- 
cy ; and are but the sterner voice of God's pa- 
rental love. Yes ! and in the darkest hour, 

"Here speaks the comforter, in God's name saying. 
Earth has no sorrows that Heaven cannot cure." 

This, my brethren, is certainly a great thing 
for man in this vale of tears ; in this land of 
trials, troubles, disappointments, sickness, sor- 
row, and death. Ah! how many sad scenes of 



36 THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE 



mourning are presented in this sorrowful world 
of ours ! Here some venerated father cries out, 
with the patriarch of old, my Joseph is no 
more ! and my grey hairs must go down with 
sorrow to the grave ! There, some tender mo- 
ther weeps over the darling of her bosom, as 
she commits its clay cold form to its narrow 
house. Here, some affectionate husband la- 
ments the untimely death of the wife of his 
bosom, the jewel of his heart; and there, some 
devoted wife mingles bitter tears with the 
clods which rest upon the bosom of the dear 
man she loved, her husband. How distress- 
ing ! But perhaps this is not all, she is made 
the widowed mother of poor fatherless children 
who look up to her for comfort and support, 
and look in vain. The prop, the only support 
of the family, is taken away ! and they, what 
shall they do ? The heart, bursting with grief, 
vents its complaints, it murmurs and repines, 
" Where is the compassion of my God? where 
are the tender mercies of my heavenly Fa- 
ther? my affliction is too much for my wound- 
ed spirit ! it is more than I can bear ! would 
God I had never been born! or would God I 
were with my beloved, sleeping with him in 
his silent grave !" Cease mourner ! cease thy 
complaints ! says our religion — It is God, why 
weepest thou? Remember he is a God of 
unerring wisdom, and boundless compassion. 
Know this ; enough for thee to know, God 



OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 37 

does not willingly afflict the children of men, 
but chastens and rebukes, in covenant love. 
Cease mourner ! cease thy complaints ! thy 
heavenly Father speaks to thee ; "Silence my 
child! what I do, thou knowest not now, but 
thou shalt know hereafter." O how does this 
sooth the smitten heart, and wipe away the 
falling tears ! Verily the consolations of reli- 
gion are sweet and strong, fulfilling the words 
of the psalmist : "God is our refuge and 
strength, a very present help in time of trou- 
ble." 

"How do you find yourself this morning?" 
said a certain pastor, to a beloved female mem- 
ber of his church, who was near her end. 
Grasping the hand of her pastor, she replied, 
"I am in great pain, but O ! I am happy ! very 
happy !" How different was it with Hume's 
mother, who, when in deep affliction, said to 
her son, "My son you have taken away my 
religion, and now tell me something to comfort 
me ;" but no comfort could he give, and none 
could she receive. "God of Queen Clotilda," 
cried out the infidel Clovis I., of France, when 
in trouble on the field of battle, "God of Queen 
Clotilda! grant me the victory!" Why did 
he not call upon his own God ? Saunderson, 
who was a great admirer of Sir Isaac New- 
ton's talents, and who made light of his reli- 
gion in health, was, nevertheless, heard to say 
in dismal accents on a dying bed, "God of Sir 
4* 



38 



THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE 



Isaac Newton, have mercy on me !" Why this 
changing of gods in a dying hour 1 And it is 
a remarkable fact, if an infidel have a wife 
who is a Christian, he is very willing in case 
of her death, to have the minister attending 
her funeral, to say, "My friends, here we have 
a daughter of Zion shrouded and prepared for 
the burying. You all knew her very well. 
She was a Christian, she lived the life of the 
Christian ; she died the Christian's death, and 
is gone to the Christian's rest, the pilgrim's 
home." But, suppose this wife of his had 
been as thorough going an infidel as himself, 
and the minister, at her funeral, should say, 
"My friend's, here is one before us, shrouded 
and prepared for the burying. You all knew 
her well. She was a thorough going infidel. 
She lived the life of an infidel, died his death, 
and is gone to his place !" Would this please 
him? Nay, verily, for there are certain sea- 
sons when the mind will be sober, and the 
voice of truth will be heard ! You have heard, 
no doubt, of many an infidel on a dying bed, 
wishing that he was a good Christian; but did 
you ever hear of a single Christian on a dying 
bed, wishing that he was a good infidel? 
No! never! never! never! The case is clear. 
" Their rock is not as our Rock, even our ene- 
mies themselves being judges." Well, my 
brethren, we must all die. We all wish to die 
happy — certainly, at least, on the safe side. 



OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 39 

Now let it be remembered, that whilst the bed 
of death is most generally a terrible place for 
the infidel, "the chamber where the Christian 
meets his fate, is privileged beyond the com- 
mon walks of virtuous life, quite on the verge 
of heaven." Here, we will suppose, is a dor- 
mitory on the right, where Christians are 
breathing their last. -Here, on the left, is an- 
other dormitory, in which infidels are giving 
up the ghost. Let us visit, first, the dormitory 
upon the right. Who is that who is just ex- 
piring? It is the very pious Halyburton. 
How serene ! how calm ! But, he is going to 
speak. Hark! let us catch some of his last 
words. "It is no easy thing to be a Chris- 
tian," says he, "but, by the grace of God, I 
have got the victory! Now, I know, I feel, I 
believe! I rejoice! I feed on manna! I have 
angel's food! Mine eyes shall see my Re- 
deemer ! O the glory ! the unspeakable glory ! 
My heart is full! my heart is full!" 

" Sure the last end 

Of the good man, is peace! How calm his exit! 
Night dews fall not more gently to the ground ; 
Nor weary, worn out winds expire so soft !" 

"Let me die the death of the righteous, and let 
my last end be like his!" Now, let us pass 
over to the dormitory on the left. Who is that 
just expiring? It is the wretched Altamont; 
(a fictitious name, but descriptive of a real 
case.) O how distorted are his features! and 



40 THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE 

how full of agony does he seem to be ! The 
clock strikes, and he exclaims, "O time! time! 
it is fit that thou shouldst thus strike thy mur- 
derer to the heart! How art thou fled for ever! 
A month! a day! I ask not for years, though 
an age were too little to fit me for the work 
which I have to do t" Another groan, and he 
cries out in anguish unutterable; "My princi- 
ples have poisoned my friend! my extrava- 
gance has beggared my boy! my unkindness 
has murdered my wife ! And is there another 
hell? O thou blasphemed, yet indulgent Lord 
God ! hell itself is a refuge if it hide me from 
thy frown!" Here we have even on earth, the 
first notes of the waitings of the damned in the 
world to come ! Tell me not of the peaceful 
death of David Hume. His nurse has told 
some tales of horror! but let that pass. How 
did he die, as the most favorable account repre- 
sents? He died playing at cards, and jesting 
about Charon and his boat! Does it become 
the dignity of man, or the solemnity of the 
hour of dissolution, in any case, to leave the 
world in this way? Believe me, it was only a 
desperate effort to bar serious thought — like 
the school-boy, passing through the grave yard 
at night, with satchel in his hand, 

{t Whistling aloud to bear his courage up." 

Thank God, the Christian has no occasion 
for any artificial excitement of this kind, for, to 



OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 41 



him, "to die is gain." Do you demand farther 
proof? Let us make another visit to the dor- 
mitory on the right. How pleasant is every 
thing around this hallowed spot ! Who is that 
just sinking in the arms of death? It is Ed- 
ward Payson. O how happy he looks \ But 
he is going to speak; what is his language? 
"I am going to Mount Zion," says he, "I am 
going to the city of the living God! the hea- 
venly Jerusalem! to an innumerable company 
of angels! to the general assembly and church 
of the first born, whose names are written in 
heaven. I swim in a river of pleasure ! I swim 
in a flood of glory!" And who is that in the 
next chamber, who is bidding his friends a 
final adieu? It is William C. Walton, the 
associate of my college days ; and what are 
his dying words? They are very beautiful 
and very sweet. "The sting of death is gone," 
says he, "the grave is disrobed of its terrors! 
Peace like a river flows into my soul! I am 
now in the Jordan of death, and, blessed be 
God, its waters do not cover me ! I shall see 
Jesus! — See Jesus! what a thought that is! 
O glorious Saviour!" Surely, my brethren, 
the curtains of light and glory are hung around 
this dormitory; but around the dormitory on 
the left, the curtains of gloom and despair! 
Over this waves the white banner of the Prince 
of Peace ! Over that the black banner of Apol- 
lyon! Here, are choirs of angels waiting to 



42 THE TRUTH AND EXCELLENCE, ETC. 

sing the pilgrim to his rest. There, ministers 
of vengeance, ready to hurry the guilty soul of 
the dying sinner, reluctantly, 0 how reluct- 
antly, before thy throne, thrice holy God ! And 
now, my dear friends, one and all, remember, 
we must die : we cannot help it ; and remember, 
after death comes the judgment ! and once lost, 
lost for ever ! When Death's leaden sceptre is 
laid upon our cold bosoms, no mistakes can be 
rectified any more ; for, so soon as the breath 
leaves the body, the decree of an immutable 
God rolls over the shrouded form: "He that is 
filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is 
holy, let him be holy still." In which dormi- 
tory would you rather die 1 Immortal man ! 
take care ! great interests are at stake — see to 
it, that you be upon the safe side ; for, I repeat 
it, once lost, you are lost for ever ! 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 43 



SERMON II. 

THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 
O Lord, my God, thou art very great. — Psalm civ. 1. 

One reason why many persons habitually and 
fearlessly indulge in sin, is, that they know 
not God. "Thou thoughtest," says he, "that 
I was altogether such an one as thyself." 
Psalm 1. 21. This being the case, it is im- 
mensely important that we seek to know 
God — that we seek to have some proper con- 
ception of his true character and dignity — of 
his exceeding greatness and majesty. But 
here, the words of Zophar are brought to our 
recollection: "Canst thou by searching find 
out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty 
to perfection? It is high as heaven, what canst 
thou do? It is deeper than hell, what canst 
thou know? The measure thereof is longer 
than the earth; it is broader than the sea." 
Job xi. 7, 8, 9. We admit it; we know full 
well that it is beyond a mortal's mind, beyond 
an angel's power, "to cast a thought half-way 
to God." Yet it is right and proper to push 
our inquiries here, for what though we cannot 



44 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



"rise to the height of this great argument," 
nor grasp the boundless theme, the effort may 
at least serve to expand the mind, and give us 
views of our Maker's grandeur which we ne- 
ver had before. 

The man who stands upon the shore of 
some vast ocean, and casts his eye over the 
immeasurable deep before him, sees, it is 
true, no bounds ; yet the contemplation of this 
sublime and magnificent scene greatly ele- 
vates his mind, and gives him conceptions of 
the immensity of the ocean, both new and 
grand! Who can grasp the amplitude of crea- 
tion? who can cast his thoughts over all the 
works of God? who can measure the great 
temple of universal nature, and tell its height 
and its depth, its length and its breadth ? Not 
a human being upon the face of the earth; yet, 
certainly, he who has studied the subject has 
more enlarged and correct ideas of it, than he 
who has not. Even so, what though after all 
our researches, we cannot "find out the Al- 
mighty unto perfection," the effort may, in 
some measure, elevate and expand the mind, 
and enable us with feelings of more profound 
veneration and awe, to utter the language of 
our text: "O Lord, my God, thou art very 
great." The greatness of God appears in seve- 
ral things : 

1. In comparison with the kings of the 
earth ; and to this the Psalmist has special re- 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



45:- 



ference in the words connected with our text. 
The kings of the earth are sometimes termed 
great ; thus we read of Alexander the Great, of 
Constantine the Great, and Frederick the Great, 
but, verily, in comparison with the God of hea- 
ven, their greatness dwindles into insignifi- 
cance — dwindles into nothing! Have they 
thrones? Their thrones are upon the earth; 
God's throne is in the heavens, "high above 
all height." Have they robes? God's robes 
are robes of light and majesty. Have they pa- 
vilions? He stretcheth forth the heavens as his 
pavilions, and spreadeth them out as a tent to 
dwell in. Have they chariots ? He maketh the 
clouds his chariot — he walketh upon the wings 
of the wind. Have they kingdoms? The 
whole universe is God's kingdom, and literally 
he ruleth over all. And whereas the mightiest 
potentates of the earth are mortal, and must 
die, God is in his own nature immortal, and 
never dies, but lifts his hand to heaven and 
says, I live for ever! Comparing, then, the 
God of heaven with the monarch of the earth, 
as the Psalmist has done, we may say with 
great emphasis, "O Lord, my God, thou art 
very great." The greatness of God also ap- 
pears, 

2. In certain passages of Scripture which 
speak sublimely of him. Thus, Habakkuk, 
the prophet, says, "God came from Teman, 
and the Holy One from Mount Paran, Selak 
5 



46 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD 



His glory covered the heavens, and the earth 
was full of his praise. Before him went the 
pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his 
feet! He stood and measured the earth; he 
beheld and drove asunder the nations; the 
everlasting mountains were scattered, the per- 
petual hills did bow : his ways are everlast- 
ing!" Hab. hi. 3-6. "In my distress," says 
the Psalmist, "I called upon the Lord, and he 
heard my voice out of his temple. Then the 
earth shook and trembled ; the foundations also 
of the hills moved and were shaken, because 
he was wroth. He bowed the heavens also, and 
came down, and darkness was under his feet: 
and he rode upon a cherub, and did fry ; yea, he 
did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made 
darkness his secret place, his pavilion round 
about him were dark waters and thick clouds 
of the skies. The Lord also thundered in the 
heavens, and the Highest gave his voice ; hail- 
stones and coals of fire. Yea, he sent out his 
arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out 
lightnings and discomfited them. Then the 
channels of waters were seen, and the founda- 
tions of the world were discovered ; at thy re- 
buke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy 
nostrils." Psalm xviii. 6-15. And what an 
idea of the exceeding greatness of God does 
Isaiah give, when speaking of him he says : 
"Who hath measured the waters in the hollow 
of his hand ; and meted out heaven with the 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



47 



span, and comprehended the dust of the earth 
in a measure, and weighed the mountains in 
scales, and the hills in a balance? Behold the 
nations are as a drop of the bucket, and are 
counted as the small dust of the balance ; be- 
hold, he taketh up the isles as a very little 
thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, 
nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt- 
offering. All nations before him are as no- 
thing, and they are counted to him less than 
nothing, and vanhy." Isaiah xl. 12. 15, 16, 17. 
Once more : What a sublime idea of the great- 
ness of God does the Apostle John give in 
these words : "And I saw a great white throne, 
and him that sat on it, from whose face the 
heaven and the earth fled away, and there 
was no place found for them: and I saw the 
dead, small and great, stand before God." Rev. 
xx. 11, 12. Here you will observe we have 
described the appearing of the great God, as 
final Judge, and as an effect of his appearance, 
the vanishing away of the heavens and the 
earth. As the sun, rising in full splendor, 
with its effulgent beams scatters the shades of 
night and the mists of the morning, even so, at 
the coming of the great God as final Judge, 
the heavens and the earth, substantial as they 
are, shall be only as the shades of the night, 
and the mists of the morning. Smitten bv the 
living and insufferable effulgence of his glory, 
the heavens and the earth shall pass away as 



48 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



the shades of night and the mists of the morn- 
ing, and no place be found for them! "O 
Lord, my God, thou art very great!" But the 
greatness of God appears, 

3. In certain attributes ascribed to him in 
the sacred volume. For example. (1.) He is 
uncreated and eternal. What a thought this 
is — uncreated and eternal ! without beginning 
of days or end of years ! There is something 
absolutely overwhelming in this idea, but it is 
clearly presented by Moses^ in the ninetieth 
psalm. "Before the mountains were brought 
forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth and 
the world, even from everlasting to everlasting 
thou art God!" and we may well say, in the 
language of the pious poet, 

" Great God ! how infinite art thou ! 

What worthless worms are we ! 
Let the whole race of creatures bow 

And pay their praise to thee : 
Thy throne eternal ages stood, 

'Ere seas or stars were made, 
Thou art the ever living God 

Were all the nations dead. 
Eternity with all its years 

Stands present in thy view, 
To thee, there's nothing old appears, 

Great God, there's nothing new!" 

O! who can measure the past eternity of 
God? As all the nations of the earth, when 
compared with God, are as a drop of the buck- 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



49 



et, as the small dust of the balance, and even 
as less than nothing, and vanity, even so all 
the moments of time from the creation of the 
world down to the present period, when com- 
pared with the life of God, are as a drop of the 
bucket, as the small dust of the balance, as less 
than nothing, and vanity! Aye, and this would 
be equally true, if each of these moments 
should stand for a million of years. O Lord, 
my God, thou art very great! (2.) God is om- 
niscient. The wisest men on earth, and even 
the loftiest angels in heaven, know, compara- 
tively, only a few things; but God literally 
knows all things ; all things in heaven, earth 
and hell; all things past, present and to come ! 
and mark, not merely great things, but small 
things. Literally, every thing ; hence the lan- 
guage of the Psalmist, There is not a word in 
my tongue, but lo ! O Lord, thou knowest it 
altogether ! No wonder he adds, Such know- 
ledge is too wonderful for me. It is high, I 
cannot attain unto it. 

" O wondrous knowledge deep and high ! 
Where can a creature hide ? 
Within thy circling- arms I lie,, 
Beset on every side." 

But this leads me to mention another stupen- 
dous attribute nearly allied: — (3.) God is omni- 
present. This David teaches in the following 
very beautiful and striking language : "Whith- 
5* 



50 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



er shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall 
I flee from thy presence ? If I ascend up into 
heaven, thou art there : If I make my bed in 
hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings 
of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost 
parts of the sea, even there shall thine hand 
lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me" 
Ps. cxxxix. As the sun in its full brightness 
shines upon an extended plain, and every 
blade of grass, so to speak, is in the presence of 
that sun, so is every object, great and small 
throughout the whole universe, in the pres- 
ence, the immediate presence of God. I hold 
in my hand a crystal globe. It is surrounded 
by light ; it swims in light ; and light pervades 
every part. This is another illustration (im- 
perfect indeed) of the omnipresence of God. 
But the best representation of the matter is 
this : according to the Scriptures, the eye of 
God is every where: The ear of God is in every 
place ; and his hand upon every thing. First, 
The eye of God is every where. All things, 
says the apostle, are naked and open unto the 
eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Yes, 
my brethren, there is not an angel in heaven, 
there is not a devil in hell, there is not a man 
on the earth, aye, and there is not a beast 
roaming in the forest, nor a bird flying in the 
air, nor a fish sporting in the deep, nor a worm 
crawling upon the ground, nor an atom float- 
ing in the breeze, which may not say with 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



51 



Hagar in the wilderness— " Thou God, seest 
me!" Walls, shades, and distance, oftentimes 
hide objects from the view of man, but there 
are no walls so thick, no shades so dark, nor no 
distance so great which can hide any thing 
from his view. Literally, all things are naked 
and open unto the eyes of Him with whom we 
have to do. O Lord, my God, thou art very 
great! But not only is the eye of God every 
where, but his ear also is in every place. As 
God sees every thing which exists, so likewise 
does he hear every voice which is uttered, 
whether, if I may so speak, it be loud or soft, 
distant or near. Many voices being uttered at 
the same time will distract our attention. We 
usually attend to only one voice, at one and 
the same time, and even that is not heard when 
swallowed up by a voice which is louder still : 
for 

ct Who can hear a shaking leaf, 
When rattling thunders round us roar?" 

But God can, at the same moment of time, 
hear every voice, as we have said, whether it 
be loud or soft, whether it be distant or near : 
aye, and every voice distinct, whether it be the 
howling of the storm, or the sighing of the 
breeze ; the rattling of the hail, or the falling 
of the dew ; the crushing of the thunderbolt, or 
the music of the spheres ; the shoutings of the 
world above, or the wailings of the world be- 



52 THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



neath. Yes, and if all tempests were howling, 
and all thunders roaring ; if all angels were 
shouting, and all devils were wailing ; and if, 
in addition to this, millions of worlds were 
dashing together in wild uproar, jet would it 
be to God as if the pulse of nature stood still, 
and God were listening to my voice alone. 
What an astonishing proof is this of the fact 
that God is every where, not only seeing every 
thing that exists, but also hearing. But this is 
not all. The hand of God is upon every thing. 
If your hand is laid upon me, assuredly I am 
in your presence; but the hand of God, ac- 
cording to the Scriptures, is upon every thing, 
therefore every thing is in the immediate pre- 
sence of God, hence the language of the Psalm- 
ist, already repeated: "If I should take the 
wings of the morning and dwell in the utter- 
most parts of the sea, even there shall thy 
hand lead me, and thy right .hand shall hold 
me." Man is confined to a small spot of this 
earth which he inhabits, and this earth itself, 
in comparison with the universe, is but as an 
atom or a point; but God pervades all im- 
mensity ! What an overwhelming thought this ! 
God, by his essential presence, pervading the 
whole universe ! Well may we exclaim, with 
the astounded Psalmist, "O Lord, my God, 
thou art very great!" (4.) God is omnipotent, 
but in speaking on this subject we may say, as 
Job said : " The thunder of his power who can 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



53 



understand?" One thing we know, "He can 
create and he destroy ;" yea, he can dash 
whole worlds to death and make them when 
he please. Literally, he can do all his pleasure, 
in heaven and on earth, throughout all space, 
and throughout all time! If all men, if all 
angels, if all worlds were to conspire against 
him, it would be only as an atom magnifying 
itself against a mountain, or a feather attempt- 
ing to resist a whirlwind! And, observe, this 
omnipotent power is seated in his will; he 
willed that innumerable angels should exist, 
and innumerable did exist ; he willed that un- 
numbered worlds should be formed, and un- 
numbered worlds were formed. Yes, by his 
almighty flat, by the mysterious energy of his 
will, the sun, the earth, the moon, the stars, yea, 
all creation rose from the womb of unessential 
night, and in beauty, in order, and grandeur, 
rolled around his eternal throne ; and should he 
now only will it, the sun, the earth, the moon, 
the stars, yea, all creation, would immediately 
roll back into their original nothing, and give 
place for a new display of the all-creating and 
omnipotent energy of his will. O, this mighty, 
mighty God ! who, by the omnipotent power of 
his will, can bring into existence men and an- 
gels, and worlds and systems, and then blot them 
out for ever ; what can we say but utter the lan- 
guage of the text, "O Lord my, God, thou art 
very great !" But the greatness of God appears, 



54 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



4. In the mighty work of creation. We have 
spoken of his omnipotence as an attribute ; here 
we have its sublime demonstration. How vast 
is this creation, and how wonderful in all its 
parts ! How many suns, how many worlds, 
how many systems ! How great their magni- 
tude, and how immense the space in which they 
move ! Light, we are told, moves at the rate of 
one hundred and eighty thousand miles in a 
second of time, and yet it will take five years 
for a ray of light to pass from our sun to the 
nearest star. But such facts immediately con- 
found and overwhelm us. Let us take another 
view. The globe which we inhabit is really a 
great globe, being nearly eight thousand miles 
in diameter, and twenty-five thousand in cir- 
cumference. What towering mountains does 
it contain, what broad rivers, what vast oceans, 
what numerous islands, what extended conti- 
nents, and what a vast population ! If this world 
of ours is deemed large, what shall we say of 
yonder sun, which is nearly thirteen hundred 
thousand times larger still? If a globe of fire, 
as some suppose, what an immense fiery globe, 
which, if hollow, could with ease receive into 
its bosom more than a million of such worlds 
as ours is ! — and if habitable, like our earth, as 
others think, then what mountains, what rivers, 
what oceans, what islands, and continents, and 
what a population! And after all, what is this 
earth, and yonder sun, and all its planets, to all 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



55 



the other suns, and worlds, and systenls, which 
telescopic glass have spread out before the eye 
of man? Only as the fringe upon the garment 
of creation, or as a small village in some vast 
empire ; for astronomers tell us that there are 
eighty millions of suns discovered, around 
which roll, by estimation, two billions four hun- 
dred millions of worlds ; and all these may be 
only as the outskirts of some still mightier crea- 
tion; and God made them all! Not only so, 
he made them without materials, and with infi- 
nite ease ; he spake, and it was done ; he com- 
manded, and it stood fast. Another idea is this : 
This immense, immense universe is all in mo- 
tion! each sun, and world, and system, rolling 
in its appointed orbit with a velocity most aston- 
ishing, swifter than the whirlwind passing over 
the bosom of the deep, or the meteor streaming 
along the archway of heaven, or the ball thrown 
from the mouth of the thundering cannon. And 
God bears up all, as in the hollow of his hand ! 
A giant would stagger under the weight of a 
small rock, and an army of giants could not roll 
one mountain, or heave one ocean ; but God 
Almighty with infinite ease bears up all worlds, 
and with infinite ease can heave and roll swiftly 
the whole creation. O Lord, my God, thou art 
very great ! But once more the greatness of 
God appears, 

5. In the work of redemption. This presents 
a new view of the greatness of God, exhibiting 



56 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



his moral grandeur ; and it is this which makes 
him emphatically and supremely great indeed. 
Infinitely great in goodness as he is infinitely 
great in power ; infinitely great in all his moral 
as in all his natural perfections ; so that, in the 
sublime st sense, it may be said of him that 
"He is a God, all o'er consummate, absolute, 
full orbed, in his whole round of rays com- 
plete." In the work of redemption, what did 
God do? He reconciled the claims of conflict- 
ing attributes, and in the plan of saving sinful 
man from a deserved and everlasting hell, he 
caused each and all of his divine attributes to 
shine out with peerless and dazzling splendour. 
God so loved the world, that he gave his only 
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 
should not perish, but have everlasting life. 
God could have made a greater universe than 
he has made, but we cannot see how it is pos- 
sible for God, infinite as he is, to have made 
a greater gift than he has done, so that the 
poet has well said, 

God, in the person of his Son, 

Hath all his mightiest works outdone. 

"If in creation we see the hand of God, in 
redemption we see his heart." If in the work 
of creation there be a display of God's natural 
perfections which has a height and depth we 
cannot fathom, in the work of redemption, we 
have, in the exhibition of his moral perfections, 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



57 



an ocean without bottom and without shore. 
Indeed, according to the Scriptures, the work of 
redemption is presented to us as that which is 
to the Lord for a crown of glory, and for a dia- 
dem of beauty; the master-piece and chief work 
of the Great God : that, indeed, for which all 
things else were brought into being ; as it is 
written, God hath created all things by Jesus 
Christ, to the intent (that is, for this specific 
purpose) that now unto the principalities and 
powers, in heavenly places, might be known by 
the church, (Eph. iii. 9, 10, 11), the manifold 
wisdom of God. If, then, creation be a casket, 
redemption is the richest jewel in that casket; 
and if creation be to the Lord as we have said, 
a crown of glory, redemption is the most resplen- 
dent gem which glitters in that crown of glory. 
In the sacred volume we find it written, "Great 
and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Al- 
mighty ;" in the same volume we also find this 
exclamation, "How great is his goodness, and 
how great is his beauty !" Zech. ix. 16. A being 
then, who is infinitely good, as well as infinitely 
powerful; who is, in short, infinite in every 
thing that is great and glorious, how great, how 
exceedingly great must such a Being be ! This 
is the God whom we worship and adore ; our 
God for ever and ever. "O Lord, my God, thou 
art very, very great!" 

A few inferences, and I have done. 

1. How reasonable it is that we should wor- 
6 



58 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



ship and serve this only living and true God. 
Hence the beautiful language of the Psalmist ; 
"O come let us sing unto the Lord; let us 
make a joyful noise unto the Rock of our sal- 
vation. Let us come before his presence with 
thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto 
him with psalms, for the Lord is a great God, 
and a great king above all gods. In his hand 
are the deep places of the earth ; the strength 
of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he 
made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 
O come, let us worship and bow down; let us 
kneel before the Lord our Maker, for he is our 
God, and we are the people of his pasture, and 
the sheep of his hand." Yes it is reasonable 
that we, that all should worship and serve the 
only living and true God, hence the language 
of the Psalmist again : "O sing unto the Lord 
a new song. Sing unto the Lord all the earth. 
Sing unto the Lord; bless his name. Show 
forth his salvation from day to day ; declare 
his glory among the heathen; his wonders 
among all people, for the Lord is great, and 
greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above 
all gods, for all the gods of the nations are 
idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Honour 
and majesty are before him, strength and 
beauty are in his sanctuary. Give unto the 
Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto 
the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the 
Lord the glory due unto his name ; bring an 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



59 



offering and come into his courts. O worship 
the Lord in the beauty of holiness, fear before 
him all the earth." 

" Before Jehovah's awful throne. 
Ye nations bow with sacred joy, 
Know that the Lord is God alone, 
He can create, and he destroy. 

His sovereign power, without our aid, 
Made us of clay and formed us men. 

And when like wandering sheep we strayed^ 
He brought us to his fold again. 

We are his people, we his care, 

Our souls, and all our mortal frame ; 

What lasting honours shall we rear. 
Almighty Maker, to thy name 1 

We'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs, 
High as the heavens our voices raise, 

And Earth, with her ten thousand tongues, 
Shall fill thy courts with sounding praise. 

Wide as the world is thy command — 

Vast as eternity thy love — 
Firm as a rock thy truth must stand, 

When rolling years shall cease to move." 

Alleluia! The Lord God omnipotent reigneth! 
Amen, Alleluia! 

2. How dreadful a thing it must be, to have 
this great God for our enemy! — a God so great 
and powerful, who is, literally, every where 
present, and who, literally, can do all things ! 
Who can escape his notice? or elude his grasp? 
or escape his power? Assuredly, "He that 



60 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



can create, and can destroy/' — "He that can 
dash whole worlds to death, and make them 
when he please;" assuredly, he can in a mo- 
ment hurl the shiner down to hell; and chain 
him there in darkness and despair! Yea, can 
destroy both soul and body hi hell, and that 
for ever! O my friends, the apostle says, 
and troly does the apostle say, "It is a fear- 
ful thing to fall into the hands of the living 
God.'' Let men hate me. let men torment 
me, let the stormy cloud rain thunderbolts 
upon me, and the terrific whirlwind sweep me 
away and dash me upon the ragged rocks, but, 
let not the great God of heaven and earth be 
mine enemy! for hi the day of his wrath who 
shall be able to stand \ and his wrath, once 
kindled, burns furiously, and burns for ever. 
O sinner! impenitent sinner! fear the God 
who made you. "Who would not fear thee? 
O king of nations," says the prophet, "who 
would not fear thee 7 for to thee doth it apper- 
tain." Surely it is right and proper that we 
should fear what is a proper object of fear, and 
if God be indeed the great God which we have 
proved him to be. certainly it is right and pro- 
per that he should be feared: hence the lan- 
guage of Peter, " Fear God f and the language 
of the Psalmist, "Stand in awe, and sin not;" 
and this language again, " Tremble thou earth 
at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of 
the God of Jacob;" and yet many fear not 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 61 

God! God says, "Remember trie Sabbath, 
day to keep it holy," but tbey refuse to re- 
member the Sabbath day to keep it holy. God 
says, " Thou shalt not take the name of the 
Lord thy God in vain but this command 
also, they daily trample upon, as they do, 
many, many others. The fact is, many have 
no fear of God before their eyes, and positive- 
ly treat him as if he were a cipher and worthy 
of no regard. They fear man, but fear not 
God, who made man ! They fear the jarring 
elements, but fear not God who controls the 
jarring elements ! Yes, the wrath of man, and 
the violence of conflicting elements, will make 
them tremble and turn pale, but they fear not 
that God in whom they live and move and 
have their being ; who can, in a moment of 
time, raise them to heaven, and number them 
with the bright and happy spirits around his 
throne ; or, sink them down to hell, and link 
them with spirits accursed and damned for 
ever ! Surely there is madness in the sinner's 
heart. O sinner, fear God, that it may be well 
with you in the latter end. But, do not mis- 
understand the matter, when we call upon you 
to fear God, we do not call upon you to exer- 
cise a slavish, but a filial fear : and these are 
widely different. The one may consist with 
the deadliest enmity ; the other only with the 
liveliest affection. The one is the fear of a 
slave towards a cruel tyrant ; the other is the 
6* 



62 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



fear of a child towards an affectionate parent. 
The one has nothing of true religion in it ; the 
other is the very essence thereof In short, the 
fear required is the fear of a Joseph, who, 
when tempted to sin, said, " How can I do this 
great wickedness, and sin against God." And 
now, my dear impenitent friends, remember? 
you, who have no Saviour, remember ! you 
have not made your peace with God, and 
you and God must meet ! You have sinned 
against him, lo, these many years ! and,- be 
sure, your sin" will find you out ! O what will 
you do when God shall require your soul? 
What will you do when, amid all the terrors 
of the judgment day you shall hear the sound- 
depart ? 

" O wretched state of deep despair 
To- see my God remove, 
And fix my doleful station where 
I must not taste his love." 

O my unconverted friends ! you have slum* 
bered over your eternal interests, too long ; 
wake up, at last, I beseech you, O wake up to 
the high claims of God and eternity. And I 
would now say, in the language of the Sa- 
viour, " Agree with thine adversary quickly 
whilst thou art in the way with him, lest at 
any time the adversary deliver thee to the 
judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, 
and thou be cast into prison ; verily, I say unto 
thee thou shalt by no means come out thence, 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



63 



till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing !" O! 
to be lost, and lost for ever ! even for ever and 
ever! Think upon that, and may God have 
mercy upon your souls ! 

3. How blessed it is to have God upon our 
side. If God, the great God, be for us, who 
can be against us ? He who is infinite is wis- 
dom and in power, he who has a control over 
all means and agents, what a powerful friend 
and protector must he be ! Hence the lan- 
guage of the Psalmist, " As the mountains are 
round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round 
about his people, from henceforth and even 
for ever !" And again : " The Lord is my 
light and my salvation, whom shall I fear ? 
the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom 
shall I be afraid?" Ah, my brethren, if God 
be upon our side we are safe and happy, for 
time and for eternity ! and well may it be said 
happy is that people who is in such a case, 
yea, happy is that people whose God is the 
Lord ! This happiness belongs to all the truly 
pious of everyplace and every age. Yes, it is 
the privilege of each and all such to say with 
the sweet singer of old, " This God is our God 
for ever and ever ; he will be our guide even 
unto death." And again : " The Lord liveth, 
and blessed be my Rock f and, in the lan- 
guage of our text, " O Lord, my God, thou 
art very great." There is oftentimes great 
meaning and great sweetness in the little pro- 



64 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



noun my. And if it be pleasant sometimes to 
be able to say, this is my house, my field, my 
wife, my child, how much more delightful, 
yea, infinitely more delightful, after contem- 
plating the grandeur of the Eternal King, to 
be able to say, " this God is our God for 
ever and ever !" Yes, great and glorious as 
he is, this — the Christian may say, this is 
my Heavenly Father, the friend and por- 
tion of my soul ; very pleasant therefore must 
have been the feelings of the Psalmist when 
he uttered the language of our text, " O 
Lord, my God, thou art very great." This is 
the language of joy, of triumph, and of com- 
plete exultation, reminding us of the well 
known language of Moses, " Their rock is not 
as our Rock, even our enemies themselves 
being judges." My brethren, I repeat it, if 
God be for us who can be against us ? He is 
a shield and buckler to his people on earth, 
and afterwards he will receive them to glory. 
He was a shield to the patriarch Jacob. You 
recollect this man of God having been im- 
properly treated by his father-in-law, Laban, 
leaves him, and with his family and all that he 
had, sets out on his journey to see his father 
Isaac, who was still alive. When Laban 
heard that Jacob was gone, he gathered a force 
and pursued after him, resolved it seems to 
bring him back. The very night however, 
before he came up with Jacob, the Lord ap- 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



65 



peared to Lab an the Syrian in a dream, and 
said unto him, Speak not a word to Jacob, 
good or bad. The next day he overtakes Ja- 
cob, and still wrathful, he said, It is in the 
power of my hand to do you hurt, but the 
Lord God of your fathers appeared to me yes- 
ternight saying, Speak not a word to Jacob, 
good or bad. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the 
man to whom thou art a shield and buckler ! 
Jacob thus protected, continues his journey. 
On his way to the dwelling place of Isaac he 
must needs pass by Mount Seir, the dwelling 
place of Esau. It will be recollected that some 
twenty years before, Esau had threatened that 
he would slay Jacob. Drawing near to Mount 
Seir, and remembering this, Jacob sends mes- 
sengers to Esau, to conciliate him. Esau 
deigned no reply, and Jacob's messengers re- 
turned to him, saying, We came to thy bro- 
ther Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, 
and four hundred men with him ; then Jacob 
was greatly afraid, and he divided the people 
that were with him, and the flocks and the 
herds, and the camels, into two bands, and 
said, If Esau come to the one company and 
smite it, then the other company which is left 
shall escape. Having made this arrangement, 
he turned aside to pray, and we may judge of 
the feelings of his heart from the words of his 
lips : "O God of my father Abraham, and God 
of my father Isaac, deliver me I pray thee 



66 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



from the hand of my brother, from the hand of 
Esau, for I fear him, lest he come and smite 
me, and the mother with the children." And 
now the moment of meeting arrives ; and as 
Esau lifted up his eyes and beheld Jacob his 
brother, the Lord touched Esau's heart, and 
he ran to meet his brother, and embraced him, 
and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they 
wept! O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man 
whom thou dost shield and protect! The Lord 
can hold the enemy in check by a vision of the 
night, or by converting a heart of enmity into 
a heart of love ! yea, in many ways. Take 
one case more : Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, had 
sworn that Elijah should not live another day. 
Elijah hears of the threat, and went a day's 
journey into the wilderness and sat down un- 
der a juniper tree. Me thinks I see this vene- 
rable man under the juniper tree. He is in 
great sadness. Methinks I hear him sigh, me- 
thinks I see the tears trickling down his fur- 
rowed cheeks. But now he prays, and we 
may judge of the feelings of his heart from 
the language of his lips. It is enough now, 
O Lord, said he, take away my life, for I am 
not better than my fathers. And now, my 
brethren, see that Elijah who would willingly 
have died under the juniper tree, without a 
friend to close his eyes or dig his grave — only 
see! the heavens are opened! the heavens are 
opened ! and lo, a chariot of fire, and horses of 



THE GREATNESS OF GOD. 



67 



fire descend, and that good man who would 
fain have died under the juniper tree without 
a friend to close his eyes or dig his grave — 
only see how he is rapt away in triumph to 
the bosom of his God, in glory ! Of a truth, 
" he has found a most secure abode, who has 
made his refuge God." " The Lord is thy keep- 
er," says the Psalmist, " the Lord is thy shade 
upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite 
thee by day, nor the moon by night. The 
Lord shall preserve thee from all evil ; he shall 
preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve 
thy going out, and thy coming in, from this 
time forth and even for evermore." So that we 
may say to the humblest child of God, 

1 Go and return secure from death 
'Till God command thee home." 

Then comes joy, heavenly joy ; bliss, unutter- 
able and everlasting bliss ! O think what a full 
tide of joy an infinite God can pour into our 
souls, through all the ages of eternity ! O, my 
brethren, believe me, riches are nothing ; hon- 
ours are nothing ; worldly pleasures are noth- 
ing; thrones and kingdoms nothing, in compar- 
ison with the favour of God. Thy favour, O 
G od, is life ; thy loving kindness is better than 
life ; for if God, the great God of heaven and 
earth be for us, who can be against us 1 O! then 
seek his favour, and may you never rest until you 
find sweet repose in the bosom of a God recon- 
ciled through the mediation of his Son. Amen. 



68 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



SERMON III. 

CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal 
with God : but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him 
the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men : and 
being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became 
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God 
also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above 
every name ; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of 
things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord ; 
to the glory of God the Father. — Phil. ii. 6-11. 

In these words, my brethren, we have, 

I. The mediatorial character, work and glory 
of Christ, and 

II. The grand design of the whole. 

I. The mediatorial character, work and glo- 
ry of Christ. — By the mediatorial character of 
Christ, we are to understand, not his essential, 
but his official character — that which he, as 
mediator, sustains in the economy of man's 
redemption. Had man never existed ; or ex- 
isting, had never fallen ; or fallen, had never 
been redeemed, the Eternal Son of God had 
never assumed the name of Jesus Christ or Me- 
diator. This is, unquestionably, that new name 
spoken of in the book of Revelation, iii. 12, and 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 69 

that name which is above every name, made 
mention of in the passage now before us. En- 
tering upon the glorious work of man's redemp- 
tion, he assumes a new name, and sustains a 
new character. This character is commonly 
denominated his mediatorial character. The 
scope of our text would lead us, however, to 
speak not so much of those offices which be- 
long to the mediatorial character of Christ, as 
of that union of the human and divine nature 
in the person of Christ, upon which the media- 
torial character is founded, and which indeed 
gives to it all its dignity, and sweetness, and 
excellence, and perfection. Here it will be 
necessary for us, by sound scriptural argu- 
ment, to establish this proposition, that Jesus 
Christ, as Mediator, possesses two natures — the 
divine and human, in mysterious, yet all-harmo- 
nious union. This is a doctrine of prime im- 
portance. It lies at the very foundation of the 
whole Christian system ; and with it, the most 
precious hopes of the believer must live or die. 
No wonder, then, if we be tenacious for this 
doctrine ; no wonder if we cling to it as the 
miser clings to his gold ; for " if the founda- 
tions be destroyed, what can the righteous 
do T In establishing this point, we shall 
adduce only one argument, with some col- 
lateral proofs — I say only one argument, but 
that, humbly conceived to be, both clear and 
unanswerable — it is this : In this volume, the 
7 




70 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



Bible, there are certain things affirmed of Jesus 
Christ, which can properly be affirmed only of 
the human nature ; and yet, in the very same 
volume, certain other things are affirmed of 
him which can properly be affirmed only of 
the divine nature. Now these two classes of 
affirmations, in the very nature of the case, 
cannot be true, except on the principle that 
Jesus Christ possesses, as we have said, both 
the human and divine nature, in mysterious, 
yet all-harmonious union. How do we prove 
that a living man possesses both a soul and 
body in union? Very much in this way. 
Speaking of this man, for example, I say that 
he has flesh, bones, blood, and is mortal. 
These things, we all see, belong not to his 
soul, but to his body, and prove — what ? cer- 
tainly that he has a true body. Yet speaking 
of the very same individual, I change my lan- 
guage, and also affirm that he has memory, 
will, and understanding, and is immortal. Now 
here is a new set of attributes which evidently 
belong not to the body, but to the soul, and 
prove — what? assuredly, that this man has 
also a soul, a reasonable soul. The connecting 
link between the soul and the body may be 
unseen; the union may be absolutely inscru- 
table. It matters not, the facts are clear, and 
therefore the inference is irresistible : this man 
has, in himself, mind and matter united ; he 
has both a soul and a body, in mysterious, yet 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



71 



all-harmonious union. Now let us bring this 
principle of reasoning to bear upon the case in 
hand. And first, with regard to the human 
nature of Christ. Here we need not enlarge; 
the doctrine is not controverted ; we need only 
remind you of those passages of Scripture, 
which tell us plainly, that Jesus Christ was 
born of a woman ; was made under the law — 
and that he wept, hungered, thirsted, died ! 
These things we all see, appertain not to the 
divine nature, but to the human, and prove — 
what ? Certainly that Jesus Christ possessed 
the human nature; was very man, had a true bo- 
dy, and a reasonable soul; was as truly a man as 
any in this assembly. This is a precious doc- 
trine ; we have never denied it — The Apostle 
never did — his language is this : " Forasmuch 
as the children were partakers of flesh and 
blood, he also himself took part of the same." 
-j But with regard to the second point, that in 
connexion with the human nature our Saviour 
also possessed a nature strictly speaking divine. 
Notice the affirmations in our text: "who, be- 
ing in the form of God thought it not robbery to 
be equal with God." Here are two affirmations, 
having reference to the supreme divinity of 
Christ. Take the first, " Who being in the form 
of God." Here the apostle affirms that, origi- 
nally, Jesus Christ was in the form of God. 
Now as God is an infinite spirit, possessed of 
incommunicable attributes, and arrayed in 



72 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



peerless, uncreated glory, it is very certain 
that no mere creature can possess the real form 
of God, and that it is the real, and not assimi- 
lated form of God, is evident from what the 
apostle says in his epistle to the Hebrews, i. 3, 
where he declares Jesus Christ to be the bright- 
ness of the Father's glory, and the express 
image of his person. " The brightness of the 
Father's glory." Now as the brightness of the 
natural sun in the heavens, is of the same na- 
ture and date with that great luminary itself, 
and may be distinguished, but not separated, 
even so, in the unity of the Godhead, the Fa- 
ther and the Son are in essence one and the 
same, co-equal, co-eternal. They may be distin- 
guished, but not separated. When, therefore, 
the apostle declares that Jesus Christ was in 
the form of God, the idea is this, that Jesus 
Christ possesses himself, really and substan- 
tially, all the perfections of God the Father's 
person. In confirmation of this, notice the fol- 
lowing remarkable facts: 1 . That the sublimest 
works of the supreme God are ascribed to 
Christ. — Is creation the work of God ? No man 
denies it ; and yet John tells us that, "All things 
were made by him ; and without him was not 
any thing made that was made." Johni. 3. Is 
preservation the work of God ? Who denies 
that ? And yet Paul tells us that Jesus Christ 
upholdeth all things by the word of his power. 
Heb. i. 3. Is the work of resurrection the work of 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



73 



God? Who but an omnipotent God can wake up 
the slumbering nations of the dead, whose ashes 
have been scattered to the four winds of hea- 
ven ; buried, it maybe, beneath the mountain's 
base and the ocean's wave? Yet the blessed 
Saviour says, "I am the resurrection and the 
life ; I will raise him up at the last day." John 
xi. 25. Is the work of final judgment the work 
of God? The Bible says expressly, God is judge 
himself, and yet the apostle says, "We must all 
appear before the judgment-seat of Christ." 
2 Cor. v, 10. But the doctrine before us falls 
in with another remarkable fact, that the sub- 
limest names of the supreme God are given to 
Jesus Christ, viz. God. Thus the Everlasting 
Father, addressing the Son, says, "Thy throne, 
O God, is for ever and ever." Heb. i. 8. "True 
God;" thus John says, "Jesus Christ, this is 
the true God." 1 John v. 20. "Mighty God." 
Is. ix. 6. " The Lord of Glory." 1 Cor. ii. 8. 
"The Prince of Life." Acts hi. 15. "The First 
and the Last." Rev. ii. 8. "The Almighty." 
Rev. i. 8. "Over all, God blessed for ever." 
Rom. ix. 5. Now, give these names to Peter, 
or to Paul, to Michael, to Gabriel, to the loftiest 
angel in heaven, and there is blasphemy in it ; 
and yet they are given to Christ, and that, too, 
by those who spake as they were moved by the 
Holy Ghost. This can be accounted for only 
by the fact stated, that Jesus Christ possesses 

in himself, really and substantially, all the per- 
7 * 



74 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



fections of God the Father's person. And no- 
tice how this doctrine falls in with another re- 
markable fact, that the sublimest honours of 
the Supreme God are given to Jesus Christ. 
Witness the language of Thomas — "My Lord 
and mj God." Witness what is said of Ste- 
phen, the first martyr — "And they stoned Ste- 
phen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord 
Jesus receive my spirit." Witness the form 
of baptism : "In the name of the Father, and 
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Now 
whatever is to be implied in the name of the 
Father, is of course also to be implied in the 
name of the Son. But hark ! pseans are sound- 
ing in the world above ! "Worthy is the Lamb 
that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and 
wisdom, and honour, and glory, and blessing." 
Rev. v. 12. There is no adoration loftier than 
this; no worship, more strictly speaking, di- 
vine ; yet Jesus Christ is the object of it. What 
makes this matter more remarkable is this : It 
is written, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy 
God, and him only shalt thou serve." Accord- 
ingly, we find that no good man, no g-ood angel, 
ever consented to receive divine honours. No 
good man — Paul and Barnabas were good men: 
having wrought a stupendous miracle at Lys- 
tra, the people cried out, in the language of 
Lycaonia, "The gods have come down to us in 
the likeness of men :" and the priests of Jupiter 
brought oxen and garlands to the gates of the 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



75 



city, and would have done sacrifice with the 
people — would have paid Paul and Barnabas 
divine honours. Did these good men consent ? 
They rent their clothes, and ran in amongst 
the people, crying out and saying, "Sirs! why 
do ye these things? we are men of like passions 
with you." No good angel ever consented to 
receive divine honors. You recollect a good 
angel once appeared to John, in the Isle of 
Patmos. John, dazzled by the effulgence of his 
splendour, fell down at his feet to worship him. 
Did this good angel consent to receive this 
divine honour ? He was in a hurry to repel it ; 
"I am thy fellow servant — worship God." See, 
then, how good men and angels all point to su- 
preme divinity as the only proper object of re- 
ligious worship and adoration. Now, is it not 
remarkable that the blessed Saviour himself 
appeared to the same John, in the same Isle of 
Patmos, and John, dazzled by the effulgence of 
his splendour, fell down at his feet also? Did 
the blessed Saviour give the holy apostle any 
charge against worshipping him? Mark the 
difference ! He laid his right hand upon him, 
saying, "Fear not, I am the First and the Last! 
I am he that liveth, and was dead, and behold I 
am alive for evermore, amen; and have the 
keys of hell and of death!" And this reminds 
me of that sublime doxology uttered by the 
same exile in Patmos, in his own name and 
that of the whole church, militant and trium- 



76 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



pliant — "Unto Him that loved us, and washed 
us from our sins in his own blood, and hath 
made -us kings and priests unto God and his 
Father ; to him be glory and dominion, for ever 
and ever." Mark, "to him who loved us and 
washed us from our sins in his own blood — to 
him be glory and dominion, for ever and ever." 
Let any being be invested with glory and do- 
minion for ever and ever, and he is invested 
with the honours of supreme divinity — he as- 
cends the throne of the universe, and he is 
inaugurated God over all ! These things, in 
relation to Jesus Christ, are very remarkable, 
and can be explained, as I humbly conceive, 
only on the ground already stated, that Jesus 
Christ, possesses in himself, really and substan- 
tially, all the perfections of God the Father's 
person. In confirmation of this position, take 
this passage of scripture: "Philip saith unto 
him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth 
us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long 
time with you, and yet hast thou not known 
me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the 
Father : and how sayest thou then, Show us 
the Father? Believest thou not that I am in 
the Father, and the Father in me ? John xiv. 
8, 9, 10. To crown the matter, notice how the 
apostle expresses the doctrine almost in the 
very words which we have uttered: "In him 
[Jesus Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the 
Godhead bodily." Col. ii. 9. How strong is 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



77 



this language! Every word emphatic! In 
him, Jesus Christ, ctwelleth all the fulness of 
the Godhead, bodily. If this does not express 
the idea of God incarnate — literally God incar- 
nate — what idea does it present ? And here I 
would remark — as thought, written or uttered, 
is thought embodied, so Christ, in human form, 
is God made manifest in the flesh. 

Having introduced the term " Godhead," 
permit me to make a remark or two touching 
the mysterious and sublime doctrine of the 
Trinity. Some stumble at it, and why? — On 
the supposed ground of- its involving an ab- 
surdity. Now, we positively affirm, that the 
doctrine of a triune God, as we receive it, 
does not involve even the shadow of an ab- 
surdity ; for, when we say that there are three 
persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, 
and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one 
God, the same in substance, equal in power 
and glory — observe, we do not say that they 
are three, in the same sense in which they are 
one, nor one in the same sense in which they 
are three. That would be an absurdity : we 
simply say, in one sense three, in another 
sense one. Is there any thing incredible in 
this? By no means. Rain, hail and snow are 
three distinctions of one and the very same 
element. And although I would not say, that 
rain is hail, nor that hail is snow, yet I will 
say, what I have a right to say, and what is 



78 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



certainly most true — in substance one; in dis- 
tinction three. Just so with regard to the 
unity of the Godhead. Although I would not 
say, that the Father is the Son, nor the Son 
the Holy Ghost, yet I will say, what I have a 
right to say, and what is certainly a great 
Bible truth — in essence one; in distinction 
three. Do I introduce this illustration to ex- 
plain the mode of the divine subsistence? Cer- 
tainly not. I cannot explain the mode of my 
own existence, how then can I explain that of 
my Maker, who is an infinite Spirit? I intro- 
duce the illustration, simply to show that there 
is no occasion for stumbling here, particularly 
when we remember that it is written, " Canst 
thou by searching find out God? Canst thou 
find out the Almighty to perfection ? It is high 
as heaven, what canst thou do ? deeper than 
hell, what canst thou know? The measure 
thereof is longer than the earth — it is broader 
than the sea.""* 

* According to philosophers, and, what is incomparably 
better, according to the apostle Paul, man himself, who is 
said to have been made after the similitude of God — yes, 
man himself consists of three distinctions: body, soul, and 
spirit I Thess. v. 23. By the body, we understand the 
material frame ; by the soul, the animal life, which we have 
in common with the brutes that perish ; and by the spirit, 
(usually called the soul,) the immortal principle. Now here 
we perceive, even in ourselves, according to this statement, 
a threefold existence, not only in union, but in unity. Why 
then should we stumble at the doctrine of the Trinity as 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



79 



But to resume the argument touching the 
Supreme divinity of Christ : take the second 
affirmation in our text — "Thought it not rob- 
bery to be equal with God. " Now, as a good 
writer observes, if Jesus Christ thought it not 
robbery to be equal with God, it was no rob- 
bery ; and if no robbery, he was equal ; and if 
equal, he must be God. But some one may 
say, "if Jesus Christ be, strictly speaking, a 
divine person, how can he, being divine, being 
God, be said to be equal with God? Will not 
this, then, imply, that there are two Gods, 
equal, separate and independent? I answer, 
that in a matter so far removed beyond all 
comparison, and all similitude, illustrations are 
rarely proper. I will however introduce one, 
simply to show that the thing is by no means 
incredible. Water, in a vessel, may subsist 
under two forms ; as a fluid, and as a solid ; 

revealed in the sacred volume? The truth is, in our cate- 
chisms, creeds, and confessions, the doctrine of the Trinity 
is presented, if I may so speak, in a skeleton form, and 
therefore presented to great disadvantage, for no skeleton 
has any charms ; but in the sacred volume, it is presented 
in living beauty, each person in the adorable Godhead 
being there presented as sustaining some peculiar office in 
the economy of redemption. For example : the Father 
is represented as planning the glorious scheme of man's 
redemption ; the Son as executing that scheme, and the 
Holy Ghost, as applying to all believers the benefits of that 
planned and purchased redemption, and thus exhibiting the 
Godhead to a ruined world, in glorious, yet distinct mani- 
festations. 



80 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



or as water and ice. They maybe compared 
with each other, and one may be said to be 
equal with the other ; but. if you do not like 
our interpretation, here is the passage, and 
what will you do with it?* — "Thought it not 
robbery to be equal with God." If Jesus Christ 
possess not a nature, strictly speaking, divine, 
he must of course be a mere creature — a finite 
being ! My brethren, you may compare a grain 
of sand with the whole earth; a drop of water 
with the mighty ocean ; and even a ray of light 
with yonder stupendous orb of day ; but, verily, 
you may not compare a creature with the un- 
created God ; nor that which is finite, with 
that which is infinite. In no sense whatever, 
can there be an equality — with no propriety 
whatever, can there be even a comparison. 
The case then is clear, Jesus Christ is God: 
that is, possesses in himself, really and substan- 
tially all the perfections of God, the Father's 
Person. We have also shown that Jesus Christ 
possesses also a human nature. Our great doc- 
trine then is established, that Jesus Christ, as 
Mediator, possesses two natures, the divine 
and human, in mysterious, yet all-harmonious 
union. Ah ! this mysterious union ! Some 

*I am aware that those who reject our doctrine, give 
another rendering to this passage, and indeed to every 
passage which we have quoted, or shall yet quote, numer- 
ous as they are. Strange that so many passages should 
have been wrongly translated ! 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



81 



stumble at the mystery of the incarnation; and 
is not the union of soul and body in man a 
mystery? and yet who stumbles at this? Hav- 
ing evidence of the fact, we believe the one ; 
why not, having evidence of the fact, believe 
the other also? But was the apostle Paul aware 
of the mystery? He was. Did he stumble at 
it? I give you his own words, you can judge 
as well as I. " Without controversy," says he, 
"great is the mystery of godliness. God was 
manifest in the flesh." 1 Tim. 3. 6. Observe : 
he admits it to be a mystery — he goes farther : 
he admits it to be a great mystery ; moreover, 
he would have us to understand, that there is 
no use to have any controversy upon this point. 
The mystery of the incarnation is not denied. 
" Without controversy, great is the mystery of 
godliness. God was manifest in the flesh." 
Now if the apostle did not stumble at the mys- 
tery of the human and divine nature in the 
person of Christ, neither do I — nay, more, he 
glorified in it ; Rom. ix. 5 ; and therefore so 
will L And, indeed, well may we all ; for, as 
I shall now show you, if it be a mystery, it is a 
blessed mystery — full of sweetness as well as 
full of wonder ; for, observe, 

1. How essential the two-fold nature of 
Christ is to the various parts of his mediato- 
rial work. For example : he must have a hu- 
man nature to obey the law which man had 
violated, and thus to magnify the law and 
8 



82 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



make it honourable ; but it is equally neces- 
sary, in this matter, that he should have a 
divine nature also, to give merit to his obedi- 
ence. Suppose that Jesus Christ were a mere 
man, what could his obedience avail? He 
would have to say, as we do, I am an unpro- 
fitable servant; I have done no more than was 
my duty; but, according to the Scriptures, by 
his obedience shall many be made righteous. 
So he must have a human nature to obey the 
law, and the divine nature to stamp value 
upon that obedience. Again : he must have 
a human nature to suffer, and the divine na- 
ture to give efficacy to those sufferings. Yes, 
according to the Scriptures, the Mediator must 
suffer, as it is written, "He must suffer many 
things of the elders, and chief priests, and 
scribes, and be killed, and the third day rise 
again." Matt. xvi. 21. And again: "It be- 
hoved Christ to suffer." Luke xxiv. 46. And 
again: "Ought not Christ to have suffered 
these things ?" Luke xxiv. 26. Nay more, it 
is written, "Without the shedding of blood 
there is no remission." Heb. ix. 22. In order 
to make an atonement then, Christ must be- 
come a substitutionary sacrifice — must suffer ; 
but the divine nature cannot suffer, cannot 
be wounded for our transgressions, nor bruised 
for our iniquities ; hence, Christ must have a 
human nature, to suffer ; but here again it is 
equally necessary that he should have a divine 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



83 



nature, as we have stated, to give efficacy to 
his sufferings ; for, suppose Jesus Christ were 
no more than a mere man, what could his suf- 
ferings avail? The martyrs suffered much, 
their blood flowed in torrents ! but we never 
hear that the blood of the martyrs availed to 
the washing away of a single sin of their own ; 
but with regard to this mysterious sufferer, it 
is said, " His blood cleanseth from all- sin." 
1 John i. 7. And again : " Behold the Lamb 
of God which taketh away the sin of the 
world." John i. 29. Thus you perceive it 
is necessary that Jesus Christ, as Mediator, 
should possess a human nature to suffer, and 
also a divine nature to give efficacy to those 
sufferings. But some man may say, " Sir, 
you have thrown some light upon this point, 
but the point is not clear yet. You say that 
the human nature cannot merit, nor the divine 
nature suffer, then, after all, how can the suf- 
ferings of the human nature of Christ have so 
much efficacy ? I reply, there is no difficulty 
here at all. Here is a clod of earth. In that 
form you may strike it about at pleasure — no 
harm done ; but let this clod of earth be formed 
into the body of a man ; let it be united to 
the soul of a man, a prince, a king, a con- 
queror ! and, verily, you may not now strike it 
about at your pleasure ! Who does not see that 
an injury done to that clod of earth, in its new 
form, as united to the soul of a man, a prince, 



84 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



a king, a conqueror, is to all intents and pur- 
poses, the same as an injury done to the soul 
of that man, that prince, that king, that con- 
queror ? The case then is simply this, although 
the human nature of Christ could not merit, 
nor his divine nature suffer, yet by virtue of 
the union of the human and divine nature in 
the person of Christ, the sufferings of the hu- 
man, -are as if they were the sufferings of the 
divine nature. "It is the altar which sancti- 
fies the gift." The Saviour himself furnishes 
the illustration. The divine nature is the 
altar, the human nature of Christ is the victim 
offered upon that altar, and the altar sanctifies 
the gift — the very illustration of Christ him- 
self! 

But again: Christ, as Mediator, must have 
a human nature to have a brother's heart ; a 
divine nature to have an almighty arm. You 
recollect that when God descended, in terrible 
majesty, upon Sinai's awful mount, the peo- 
ple, greatly alarmed, removed and stood afar 
off, and said unto Moses, " Speak thou with 
us, and we will hear, but let not God speak 
with us, lest we die." Nay, even Moses him- 
self exclaimed, " I do exceedingly fear and 
quake !" How natural then to wish, with the 
man of Uz, that there were some days-man to 
lay his hand upon both parties. In our blessed 
Redeemer this desire is fully met ; for, as we 
have said, he has a human nature to have a 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



85 



brother's heart, a divine nature to have an 
almighty arm. Both natures are equally ne- 
cessary, for suppose that Christ had a human 
nature only, then certainly he could have a 
brother's heart, could sympathize with us, be- 
ing touched with a fellow feeling of our in- 
firmities, and this would be soothing : but if 
this were all, amid all his tender sympathies, 
we might sink down in hopeless sorrow ! But 
O ! delightful truth ! our Mediator is in all 
respects, fitted for his appointment. As a man 
he has all the innocent sensibilities of our na- 
ture : 

" He knows what sore temptations mean, 
For he has felt the same." 

" We have not an High Priest," says the apos- 
tle, " who cannot be touched with a feeling 
of our infirmities, but was tempted in all points 
like as we are, yet without sin." Yes, it is. 
even so : 

" He in the days of feeble flesh, 
Poured out his cries and tears ;. 
And in his measure feels afresh 
What every member bears." 

This is a precious doctrine. The human na- 
ture of Christ brings him very near to our 
hearts, and the idea, that, exalted as he is, he 
can be touched with a fellow feeling of our 
infirmities, is, I repeat it, very soothing ; but if 
this were all, what would it avail to the saving; 



86 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



of our souls ? No ! He must have something 
more than sympathy, he must have power. 
He must have something more than a brother's 
heart, he must have an almighty arm ! and, 
according to our doctrine, so it is : hence, in 
the Scriptures, he is presented to us as one 
able to save unto the uttermost. Heb. vii. 25. 
0 glorious Mediator! O precious Redeemer! 
One who has all the glories of a God, attem- 
pered with the milder beauties of a perfect 
man ! One so distant, and yet so near ! Only 
think, my brethren, (sweet thought!) our 
blessed Saviour has a human nature, to have 
a brother's heart ! — a divine nature, to have 
an almighty arm ! 

" 'Till God in human flesh I see, 
My thoughts no comfort find ; 

The Holy, Just and sacred Three, 
Are terrors to my mind ; 

But if Immanuel's face appear, 

My hope, my joy begins; 
His name forbids my slavish fear. 

His grace removes my sins. 

While Jews on their own law rely, 

And Greeks of wisdom boast, 
I love th 1 incarnate mystery, 

And there I fix my trust." 

If the twofold nature of Christ be a mystery, 
(and I deny it not,) it is a blessed mystery, full 
of sweetness as well as full of wonder; for 
observe, 

2. How beautifully it falls in with the ac- 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 87 

count given of our blessed Saviour, whilst he 
tabernacled here on earth. In this account, 
circumstances of humility, and circumstances 
of grandeur, are made strangely and sweetly to 
blend together in the person of Christ ; point- 
ing out, at the same time, both his human and 
divine nature. See the blessed Saviour, born 
in Bethlehem; born of a woman, and laid in a 
manger! Here are circumstances of humility, 
pointing out his human nature ; but mark the 
circumstances of grandeur proclaiming his di- 
vine nature. A star announces his birth, and 
angels sing his natal song! See him at the 
grave of Lazarus ! He weeps like a man; and 
then, with authority, says, "Lazarus, come 
forth!" like a God. Approaching the barren 
fig tree, he hungers like a man; and then, with 
a word, withers the fig tree away, like a God. 
During a raging storm on the sea of Tiberias, 
he lay in the hinder part of the ship, with his 
head upon a pillow ; he slept like a man. Being 
called upon, he arose and rebuked the winds 
and the sea, like a God. Having wrought a 
stupendous miracle, he goes into a mountain 
apart to pray, like a man; and at the fourth 
watch of the night, he comes to his disciples, 
walking upon the water, like a God. As a 
man, he pays tribute money; as a God, he 
causes a fish of the deep to bring to him the 
tribute money. Disciples of Christ! O see your 
Saviour, on yonder bloody tree ! nailed to the 



88 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



cross, he suffers like a man; and yet, in the 
midst of his sufferings he opens the gates of 
Paradise to the dying thief, like a God. And 
see, too, in yonder sepulchre, alas ! in yonder 
sepulchre — the hope of Israel, wrapt in the 
winding sheet, lies, pale and cold in death, like 
a man. But lo ! in the morning of the thud 
day, by his own immortal energies, he burst 
the bands of death, and arose triumphant like a 
God. And see him, too, after his resurrection : 
he meets with his disciples, takes a piece of a 
broiled fish, and of an honey-comb, and did eat 
with them like a man. And then he leads 
them out to Bethany and blesses them; and as 
he blesses them, he ascends in a cloud in 
radiant majesty, far above all heavens, a God 
confessed! God is gone up with a shout! The 
Lord with the sound of a trumpet! Sing 
praises unto God ; sing praises ! Sing praises 
unto our King, sing praises ! 

"All hail the power of Jesus' name, 

Let angels prostrate fall ; 
Bring forth the royal diadem, 

And crown him Lord of all." 

3. If the union of the human and divine 
nature in the person of Christ be a mystery, it 
is a blessed mystery, for it serves very clearly 
and beautifully to harmonize many passages of 
Scripture, which on no other principle, I verily 
believe, can be made to harmonize. For ex- 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



89 



ample : in one place Jesus Christ is called a 
man ; in another place, God. Heb. i. 8. In one 
place, David's Son, Matt. xxii. 42; in another 
place, David's Lord. Matt. xxii. 45. In one 
place he says, "My Father is greater than If 
John x. 29; in another place, "I and my Fa- 
ther are one." John. 30. In one place he is 
said to be a Lamb slain, in another place, the 
Prince of Life, who only hath immortality.* 
Now deny our doctrine, and I defy any man 
on earth, or angel in heaven, to reconcile these 
passages. Admit the doctrine and all is beau- 
tiful and harmonious. With regard to his hu- 
man nature, Jesus Christ is a man ; with re- 
gard to his divine nature, God ; w r ith regard to 
his human nature he is David's Son ; with re- 
gard to his divine nature, David's Lord. Refer- 
ring to his human nature, or official character, 
he can say, "My Father is greater than I ;" re- 
ferring to his divine nature, or essential charac- 
ter, he can say, "I and my Father are one." As 
to his human nature, he is a Lamb slain; as to 
his divine nature, the Prince of Life, who only 
hath immortality. And now to put the beaute- 
ous crown upon the whole, and to convince 
you that this is indeed the true scriptural doc- 
trine, hear the words of the Saviour himself : 
"I am the root and offspring of David, and 
the bright and morning Star." Now this is 
a very remarkable passage of scripture, and 
* Compare Acts iii. 15 ; Rev. xix. 16; I Tim. vi. 15, 16. 



90 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



should settle the doctrine of the twofold nature 
of Christ forever; for, observe! if Jesus Christ 
possessed the divine nature, and that only, he 
could most assuredly be David's root, the 
source of David's being; but in this case, how 
could he be David's offspring ? On the other 
hand, if Jesus Christ possessed the human na- 
ture, and that only, he could then certainly be 
David's offspring; but here again, how, in this 
case, could he be David's root? the source of 
David's being ? But possessing both the hu- 
man and divine nature, he can say, as he does 
say, "I am the root and offspring of David, and 
the bright and morning star ;" evidently refer- 
ring to his mediatorial character. "Rising," 
as one remarks, "in his incarnation, as the 
bright and morning star, he introduced the 
gospel day ; rising as the bright and morning 
star in the influences of his spirit, he intro- 
duces the day of grace and comfort in the sin- 
ner's soul ; and rising, at last, in his bright ap- 
pearing to judge the world, he will to his saints 
usher in the coronation-day — the day of a blest 
eternity. Bright and morning Star ! Star of 
hope to the dying sinner ! Star of hope to a 
sinking world ! O shine upon this heart of 
mine." 

Having considered the mediatorial character 
of Christ, let us next consider his mediatorial 
work. And by this we are to understand all 
that our blessed Saviour, did, and suffered, to 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



91 



achieve the redemption of man, commonly 
termed his active and passive obedience. It 
would very far transcend the Imffts of this dis- 
course to lay before yon, in detail, all the varied 
parts of the mediatorial work of Christ; nor is 
it necessary on the present occasion, for, by a 
very common figure of speech, a part is here 
put for the whole ; the apostle summing up the 
whole in the humiliation of Christ, and this, 
with singular propriety, in the connexion of 
our text, inasmuch as his deep humiliation on 
earth is here presented in striking contrast 
with the august dignity which he originally 
had, when, being in the form of God, he 
thought it not robbery to be equal with God. 
In this astonishing humiliation there are several 
steps. 

1. "He was made in the likeness of men." 
That is, he, who originally, "was the bright- 
ness of the Father's glory, and the express 
image of his person," was, in his incarnation, 
so veiled, so clouded, that he no longer appear- 
ed in the form of God, but in the likeness of 
men. "Forasmuch as the children were par- 
takers of flesh and blood," says the apostle, 
"he also himself took part of the same." What 
a stoop of condescension! The Prince of life, 
and Lord of glory, in the likeness of men! 

" Harp ! lift thy voice on high ! 

Shout angels ! shout aloud ye sons of men, 
And burn my heart with th' eternal flame !" 



92 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



2. "He took -upon him the form of a ser- 
vant." Observe ! this glorious One not only 
took upon rfim human nature, but human na- 
ture in a low condition : "he took upon him," 
says our text, "the form of a servant;" not 
the form of a prince, or a king, but the form of 
a servant. How wonderful is this ! Nor was 
he ashamed to take this step of humiliation for 
the good of man, he rather gloried in it ; and 
how touching are his allusions to this very 
thing ! "The Son of man," says he, "came 
not to be minstered unto, but to minister ;" 
that is, to act the part of a servant. And again 
saith he to his disciples, "Whether is greater, 
he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? Is 
not he that sitteth at meat ? but I am among 
you as he that serveth." Blessed Jesus ! But 
most emphatically did our great Redeemer as- 
sume the form of a servant, when, rising from 
the paschal supper, he laid aside his garment, 
and took a towel and girded himself, and hav- 
ing poured water into a basin, he began to 
wash his disciples' feet with the water, and to 
wipe them with the towel wherewith he was 
girded! And this is the Saviour that made 
my mother sing in death! the same Jesus, 
who, as thousands have testified, "can make a 
dying bed feel soft as downy pillows are." 
Sinner ! this is the Saviour whom you ne- 
glect ! Is this thy kindness to thy friend ? 

3. "He made himself of no reputation," 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 9& 

Even some servants have a high character, 
and are greatly esteemed, but the Lord of 
glory, in his mysterious incarnation, volunta- 
rily places himself in those circumstances in 
which he received not the honors due to his 
name. "He came unto his own," says the 
apostle, "and his own received him not." Al- 
though he was the Rose of Sharon, and the 
Lily of the Vallies, yet he was esteemed as a 
root out of a dry ground, having no form nor 
comeliness ; nay, more, as predicted of him, 
he was despised and rejected of men ! a man 
of sorrows and acquainted with grief. O ! tell 
me, did not our blessed Saviour appear as one 
without reputation when the Samaritans re- 
fused to receive him into their villages ? When 
the Gadarenes besought him to depart out of 
their coast? and when the men of his own 
city, Nazareth, led him to the brow of the hill 
upon which their city was built, to cast him 
down headlong, as one unfit to live ? O ! tell 
me, did not the Saviour of lost men appear as 
one without reputation, when he was openly 
rejected by the chief priests and pharisees, 
and reproachfully called a gluttonous man and 
a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sin- 
ners ? when he was betrayed by one disciple, 
denied by another, and forsaken by all? when 
the multitude came out against him, as against 
a thief with swords and staves, to take him ? 
See him arrested as a prisoner ; bound as a 
9 



94 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



culprit ; hurried to the hall of Caiaphas ; taken 
to Pilate's judgment bar ; sent to Herod ; mock- 
ed by the soldiers ; crowned with thorns ; ar- 
rayed in a gorgeous robe, and then sent back 
to Pilate again. O ! see him at Pilate's bar ! 
False witnesses rise up against hmi! — none 
dare appear in his behalf! The hall — the 
court — the very heavens ring with the cry, 
" Crucify him ! crucify him !" A prisoner 
must needs be released at the feast, and Bar- 
rabbas is preferred ! O ! my soul ! think upon 
this ! — Barrabbas, a robber, was preferred to the 
blessed Jesus ! Barrabbas, a murderer to the 
spotless Son of God ! And now, he is con- 
demned ! not by the voice of law, but by the 
clamor of popular fury. Pilate, it is true, calls 
for water, and washing his hands in the pre- 
sence of the people, says, "I am innocent of 
the blood of this just man," yet gives him over 
into the hands of his enemies ! And now what 
a scene of still deeper humiliation is presented! 
The blessed Saviour is blindfolded ! he is smit- 
ten upon the cheek ! he is spitted upon ! he 
is buffetted ! he is scourged ! — Only think, 
scourged! and this is the One, who, according 
to the Scriptures, shall hereafter be seen coming 
in the clouds of heaven, with power and great 
glory ! O the strength of a Saviour's love ! 
how astonishing does it appear when measured 
by the humiliation to which he submitted for 
our sakes ! He made himself of no reputation L 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



95 



But there is yet another step of still deeper 
humiliation stated in our text. 

4. "He humbled himself and became obedi- 
ent unto death, even the death of the cross P 
That the Prince of life, and Lord of glory, 
should die any death, however easy, and hon- 
ourable, is past all comprehension ! But, such 
a death! — the death of the cross! — a death so 
shameful — so ignominious, and so accursed ! — 
so bitter, so cruel, and so bloody, too ! How 
were the rugged nails driven into his sacred 
hands and feet! How did his precious blood 
gush forth, stream down, and smoke upon the 
ground ! O sinner ! sinner ! you know not the 
strength of a Saviour's love — you know not the 
tenderness of the dear Redeemer's heart! He 
died for you ! died on the cross for you ! and 
yet you slight him, every day — turn your back 
upon him, and, even trample under foot his 
precious blood! Hard-hearted, iron-hearted 
sinner ! how could you serve your loving, dy- 
ing Saviour so? "Hearts of stone! relent! 
relent !" — " Father forgive them, they know not 
what they do !" — Having considered the media- 
torial character and work of Christ, we are next 
to contemplate his mediatorial glory. 

By the mediatorial glory of Christ, we are 
to understand all that our blessed Redeemer 
receives, in his two-fold nature, as the reward 
of his mediatorial work. To this there is a 
reference in the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah ; 



96 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



and upon this the apostle delights to expatiate. 
His language, here, is beautiful and sublime : 
" Wherefore, God also" (that is the Father,) 
"hath highly exalted him, and given him a 
name, which is above every name, that at the 
name of Jesus every knee should bow ; of things 
in heaven, and things in earth, and things 
under the earth ; and that every tongue should 
confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord." Here the 
mediatorial glory of Christ is made to consist 
in two things, honour and dominion. 

1. In Honour. — In his having a name which 
is above every name — the name of Jesus; the 
sweetest, the most charming name that men or 
angels ever heard ! Verily " 'Tis music in the 
sinner's ears, 'tis life, and joy, and peace !" O ! 
the sweetness of the name of Jesus, as it comes 
over the young convert with the power of a 
charm, bringing hope and comfort to his bur- 
dened soul! O ! the sweetness of the name of 
Jesus, as it falls, like the music of heaven, upon 
the ear of the dying saint, enabling him to 
smile in death ; and, in the full hope of glory, 
shout, " O death ! where is thy sting? O grave • 
where is thy victory V — and, O ! who can tell 
the unutterable sweetness of the name of Jesus, 
as it rolls in choral symphonies from yonder 
heavenly throng, "loud as from numbers with- 
out number, and sweet as from blest voices 
uttering joy." The name of Jesus ! It wakes 
up all the harps of heaven ! it rolls a tide of 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



97 



rapture all over the world of glory ! All eyes 
are turned upon him ! whilst voices innumera- 
ble, shout, "Worthy! worthy, is the Lamb." 
Yes, my brethren, 

" They praise him now, their hearts and voices praise,. 
And swell the rapture of the glorious song ! 
Amen ! so let it be ; shout, angels, shout ! 
And loudest, ye redeemed ! Glory be to God, 
And to the Lamb, who bought us with his blood ; 
And washed, and sanctified, and saved our souls ; 
And gave us robes of linen clean, and crowns of gold 
And made us kings and priests to God !" 

In exact accordance with this is the language 
of the holy Apostle, in that noble doxology, or 
song of praise, addressed to the great Redeemer 
in his own name, and that of the whole church, 
militant and triumphant : "Unto him that loved 
us, and washed us from our sins in his own 
blood ; and hath made us kings and priests 
unto God, and his Father; to him be glory 
and dominion, for ever, Amen !" Yes, and 
every pious heart can well respond, Amen. 

" O could I speak the matchless worth, 
O could I sound the glories forth, 

Which in my Saviour shine ; 
I'd soar, and touch the heavenly strings, 
And vie with Gabriel while he sings, 

In notes almost divine ! 

I'd sing the precious blood he spilt, 
My ransom from the dreadful guilt, 
Of sin and wrath divine ; 
9* 



98 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR- 



Pd sing his glorious righteousness, 
In which all perfect, heavenly dress, 
My soul shall ever shine t" 

But the mediatorial glory of Christ consists 
also, 

2. In Dominion. — Yes, having finished the 
great work of atonement, and having ascended 
up on high, our great Redeemer is now, ac- 
cording to the Scriptures, exalted, " far above 
all principality, and power, and might, and do- 
minion, and every name that is named, not 
only in this world, but also in that which is to 
come." Eph. i. 21. "He is Lord of all." Acts, . 
x. 36. He it is, who, walking in the midst of 
the golden candlesticks, holds the ministers as 
stars in his right hand : he it is, who, seated 
in the highest heavens, rules the church, and 
rules the world : and he it is, who, hereafter, 
" in that great day, for which all other days 
were made," shall sit as Judge of quick and 
dead. " Behold, he cometh with clouds," says 
the apostle, " and every eye shall see him, and 
they also which pierced him ; and all kindreds 
of the earth shall wail because of him. Even 
so, Amen." Yes, " hereafter" — (and mark, this 
is his own language) — " hereafter, shall ye see 
the Son of man coming in the clouds of hea- 
ven, with power and great glory." Matt. xxiv. 
30. xxvi. 64. Although he shall come as the 
Son of man, " clothed in a body like our own," 
yet, verily, none shall be able to think lightly 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



99 



of him then ; for he shall come with great 
power and glory — shall be revealed from hea- 
ven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire. 
Lightnings shall flash from his piercing eyes ! 
Thunders shall roll around his awful throne ! 
He shall tread out the sun as a spark ! shall 
break down the pillars of the earth ; his voice 
shall rouse the slumbering dead, and from his 
lips shall go forth that sentence which shall fix 
the final doom of all mankind : and, verily, all 
who on earth despised him, shall then wail 
with a grievous and sore lamentation. In view 
of this, I would now say to every impenitent 
sinner present, in the language of the Psalmist, 
"Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish 
from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a 
little ; blessed are all they who put their trust 
in him." But it is time to consider, 

II. The grand design of the whole, beauti- 
fully and comprehensively expressed by the 
apostle in these words — "to the glory of God 
the Father." On this part of our subject we 
shall be brief. The heavens, in all their varied 
beauties, in all their wide and boundless mag- 
nificence, proclaim the glory of God— pro- 
claim his wisdom, his grandeur, and his power ; 
but believe me, brethren, we have something 
here which "outshines the wonders of the 
skies ;" something which gives a development 
of the divine character to be found nowhere 
else, whatever. Yes, the great scheme of man's 



100 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



redemption is now, and ever will be, to the 
Lord emphatically for a crown of glory and for 
a diadem of beauty. For example, 

It will be to the Lord a bright and imperish- 
able monument of his love. " God so loved the 
world," says the Saviour, "that he gave his 
only begotten Son, that whosoever belie veth in 
him, should not perish, but have everlasting 
life." Yonder sun in the heavens is exceed- 
ingly bright; but God could have made it 
brighter still! The universe is astonishingly 
great, but God could have made it greater still! 
But is there, can there be, any greater gift 
which the infinite God himself can bestow, 
than the gift of his Son ? Hence the peculiar 
language of the Saviour — " God so loved the 
world;" and hence also the language of the 
apostle John — "Herein is love, not that we 
loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his 
Son to be the propitiation for our. sins. And 
well may we say with one enraptured, 

t; Could we with ink the ocean fill. 

Were the whole earth of parchment made ; 
Were every single stick a quill. 

And every man a scribe by trade, 
To write the love of God above 

Would drain the ocean dry ; 
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, 

Though stretched from sky to sky." 

It will be to the Lord a bright and imperisha- 
ble monument of his power, for it will appear 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



101 



that it was in this way he destroyed the works 
of the devil, subdued the enemies of his go- 
vernment, conquered rebellious wills, softened 
hearts of rock, and thus redeemed and disen- 
thralled a guilty and a ruined world! 

It will be to the Lord a bright and imper- 
ishable monument of his justice. The light- 
nings which blasted rebel angels in heaven, 
and awful thunders ever rolling in the prison- 
house of the damned in hell, speak loudly this 
language in the ears of all the creatures which 
God has made — " Stand in awe and sin not." 
But O ! the tears, the groans, the streaming 
blood and dying agonies of the great Redeemer, 
Jehovah's Equal, God's Eternal Son, will sound 
the notes of warning louder still. If God 
spared not his own Son, when he was found in 
the law's place, and stead of the sinner, will 
he spare any sinner who has to answer for him- 
self? Justice of heaven! how inflexible dost 
thou appear when thy glittering sword is seen 
bathed in Immanuel's blood ! in the blood of 
an incarnate God ! Once more : 

The plan of redemption will be to the Lord 
a bright and imperishable monument of his 
wisdom, for here mercy and truth meet to- 
gether, righteousness and peace embrace each 
other. Yes, here " Justice and Mercy are both 
made illustrious, both made triumphant ; one 
in punishing, and the other in pardoning. "An 
infinite sacrifice satisfies divine justice, and the 



102 CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



fruit of that sacrifice satisfies divine mercy." 
The fact is, in the glorious plan of man's re- 
demption, all the divine perfections are made 
sweetly to harmonize ; this is the grand focus, so 
to speak, in which their rays do meet and glow 
intensely. When man sinned, methinks holy 
angels struck their golden harps in plaintive 
strains, and cried, " Alas he is gone ! — with 
fallen angels, man- is gone for ever!" How can 
it be otherwise? Will a righteous God cease 
to be just ? Will a holy God look with indul- 
gence upon sin ? Will the Ruler of all worlds 
permit his laws to be broken with impunity, 
and the honours of his government to lie 
trampled upon in the dust? Perish such a 
thought as this ! It cannot be ! Methinks it is 
repeated from world to world, It cannot be, 
and echoed back in dismal strains. Then man 
is lost ! for ever lost ! 

But hark ! a sweet voice is heard ! It comes 
from Him who is the brightness of the Fa- 
ther's glory, and the express image of his 
person. It comes from him, who, being in 
the form of God, thought it not robbery to be 
equal with God. "Lo ! I come ! In the volume 
of the book it is written of me, I delight to do 
thy will, O God ! a body wilt thou prepare me ! 
I will take the sinners's place — upon me be 
the penalty of the law ! I will bear the sins of 
mine elect, in my own body upon the tree ! I 
will stoop beneath the grave, to save a sinking 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



103 



world !" What new mystery is this 1 Angels 
stooping from their seats in bliss, desire to look 
into this great mystery of godliness : then, 
rising in admiration, they sweep the strings of 
their golden harps, and swelling their loftiest 
notes, they cry, as with the voice of mighty 
thunderings, " O the depth of the riches, both 
of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! How 
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways 
past finding out !" My brethren, you have 
heard of the seven wonders of the world. 
Here we have the one great wonder of the uni- 
verse ! — the master piece of the great God ! It 
is this which shall bind all worlds to the throne 
of the ever-blessed God ! It is this which shall 
wake up the sweetest paeans in the heavenly 
world! It is this, which, through the mighty 
roll of everlasting ages, shall fill the courts of 
God Almighty with sounding praise ! — To the 
glory of God the Father! A few inferences, 
and I have done. 

1. Here we have an unanswerable argument 
for the truth of the Christian religion — a doc- 
trine such as we have now been considering ; a 
doctrine of such mingled sweetness and gran- 
deur, so worthy of God, and so suited to man ; 
such a doctrine, if unrevealed, I firmly believe, 
could never have entered the mind of man. 
Wo to the infidel, he must meet a fiery day ! 

2. How invaluable must the soul of man be ! 
To create worlds and systems required no 



104 CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



great array of means. God spake and it was 
done ! He commanded, and it stood fast ; but 
to redeem the soul of man all heaven must be 
moved ! The Lord of angels must become in- 
carnate, must suffer, and bleed, and agonize, 
and die. In other words, there must be a 
mighty draft, not upon the resources of nature, 
but upon the resources of nature's God, 

"Heaven weeps, that man might smile. 
Heaven bleeds, that man may never die." 

3. How dreadful is the guilt, and how terri- 
ble must be the doom of those who reject such 
a Saviour ! — They reject, whom ? A dying Sa- 
viour, who is God's eternal Son ! They reject, 
whom ? The world's last and only hope ! 
There is salvation in none else ; and, the sin- 
ner, dying without an interest in this Saviour, 
is accursed for ever! He is turned over to 
wrath and despair! He sinks down in the 
deep grave of sorrow, and no angel voice, no 
resurrection trump shall wake him up to hope 
and joy, any more ! O sinner ! sinner ! You 
have rejected this Saviour already too long. 
O ! be entreated to reject him no more ! Sub- 
mit now. This may be your last call, your 
last day ! 

4. How great will be the happiness of the 
redeemed in heaven ! — After such preparation, 
and such cost to bring them to that blessed 
world above, how dear, O how precious will 



CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 



105 



they be in the eyes of him who brought them 
there ! How will he beautify them with salva- 
tion ! How will he pour into their souls the 
full tide of heavenly and never-ending joy ! 
" Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath 
it entered into the heart of man, what things 
God hath prepared for them that love him." 

O heaven ! sweet heaven ! the dwelling place 
of love and joy ! — the purchase of a Saviour's 
blood! — the Christian's rest, the pilgrim's home! 
O heaven, sweet heaven ! there rolls the river 
of pleasure ! — there nourishes the tree of life ! 
there saints and angels mingling their splen- 
dors, have one continued festival, one never- 
ending jubilee ! " Visions of glory ! how ye 
crowd upon my aching sight !" " Praise God 
from the heavens ! praise him in the heights. 
Praise ye him, all his angels, praise ye him all 
his hosts. Praise ye him sun and moon ; praise 
him all ye stars of light. Praise ye him, ye 
heaven of heavens, and ye waters that be 
above the heavens. Let them praise the name 
of the Lord. Praise the Lord from the earth, 
ye dragons and all deeps. Fire, and hail, and 
snow, and vapour, and stormy wind fulfilling 
his word. Mountains and all hills; fruitful 
trees and all cedars ; beasts and all cattle ; 
creeping things, and flying fowl : kings of the 
earth, and all people ; princes, and all judges 
of the earth : both young men, and maidens, 
old men, and children, let them praise the 
10 



106 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



Lord ; for his name alone is excellent, his glory 
is above the earth and heaven. Praise God in 
his sanctuary ; praise him in the firmament of 
his power : praise him for his mighty acts; 
praise him according to his excellent great- 
ness : praise him with the sound of the trum- 
pet ; praise him with the psaltery and harp ; 
praise him with the timbrel and dance ; praise 
him with stringed instruments and organs : 
praise him upon the loud cymbal, praise him 
upon the high-sounding cymbals. Let every 
thing that hath breath praise the Lord !" Praise 
the Lord, O my soul ! 



SERMON IV. 

THE USES OF THE LAW. 
Wherefore then serveth the law ? — Galatians iii. 19. 

My brethren, the great doctrines of grace were 
precious doctrines with the Apostle Paul. Al- 
though he was a man of blameless morality, 
of ardent piety, of quenchless and untiring 
zeal ; although he was a man who had done 
and suffered more in the cause of his divine 
Master than any other man, probably, that 
ever lived, yet, when he comes to speak of 
his acceptance with his Maker, he makes no 



THE USES OF THE LA.W. 



107 



mention of any of these things. "Christ is all 
his hope, and grace is all his song." He relies 
upon the finished righteousness of the Lord 
Jesus Christ, imputed to him and received by 
faith alone. This doctrine, so humbling to 
the pride of the human heart, the apostle 
gloried in ; and, on more occasions than one, 
he enters into an argument to show how utter- 
ly impossible it is for the sinner to obtain 
justification with God in any other way. In 
the third chapter of his Epistle to the Ro- 
mans, he enters fully upon the subject, and 
winds up in this way : " Therefore, we con- 
clude that a man is justified by faith, without 
the deeds of the law." In the next chapter 
he presents the same idea, but in language 
still stronger and more decisive : " To him that 
worketh not, but believeth on him that justi- 
fieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for 
righteousness." Presenting the doctrine of 
justification by the imputed righteousness of 
Christ, and that alone, in. a manner so clear 
and strong, the apostle was aware that some 
might charge him with Antinomian sentiments ; 
as if he undervalued the law ; as if he would 
set it aside as a dead letter, and thus en- 
courage men to continue in sin, that grace 
might abound. How does he meet this cavil ? 
How does he repel this charge? With holy 
indignation! "Do we then make void the law 
through faith?" says he: "God forbid! yea, 



108 THE USES OF THE LAW. 

we establish the law." He insists upon it that 
the doctrine of justification by faith in the 
Redeemer, and by that alone, is a wholesome 
doctrine, has no licentious tendency what- 
ever, but is the very doctrine which honours 
the law, and secures its best obedience. 

And now, going in the wake of the Apostle, 
I wish, before laying before you the uses of 
the law, to give a bird's eye view of the doc- 
trine of justification. In the matter of the sin- 
ner's acceptance with God, we firmly believe 
that good works form no part whatever — "the 
death of Christ must still remain, sufficient 
and alone." If the sinner were a thousand 
times better than he is, that would be no 
ground of hope ; if he were a thousand times 
worse than he is, that need be no ground of 
despair; for, mark, if he were a thousand times 
better than he is, he never could be saved 
without coming to Christ ; if a thousand times 
worse than he is, coming to Christ, in the over- 
flowings of a penitent and believing heart, he 
would, immediately, be eneircled in the arms 
of God's parental and forgiving love. So that, 
(and I repeat it,) in the matter of the sinner's 
acceptance with God, (so far as merit in the 
sinner is concerned,) good works form no part 
whatever. "The death of Christ must still 
remain sufficient and alone." Do any charge 
me with Antinomian sentiments, and say, "O, 
sir, is not that a dangerous doctrine t I repel 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



109 



the charge, as the apostle did, with holy in- 
dignation. Do we then make void the law 
through faith ? God forbid ! Yea, we establish 
the law : we insist upon it, that the doctrine of 
justification, by the righteousness of Christ, 
and that alone, is most wholesome, and is the 
very doctrine which prompts to the best obe- 
dience. Do you ask, how ? I answer in this 
way : — The sinner is awakened. Finding him- 
self under the curse of God's righteous law, he . 
is alarmed, and goes about to make satisfac- 
tion, to establish his own righteousness ; in 
other words, he tries to save himself. After 
many efforts, finding no relief in that way, he 
comes to the conviction that he is indeed a 
poor, lost, ruined sinner : and when he is 
ready to give up, and thinks that there is no 
hope for him, then Christ is revealed in his 
heart, the hope of glory ; the effect is, Christ 
becomes precious ! — love becomes the ruling 
passion of the soul; and we all know, that 
love will make us do what nothing else possi- 
bly can. Do we then make void the law, 
through faith ? God forbid ! Yea, we establish 
the law. But some one may then say, "If 
justification cannot come by the law, wherefore 
then serveth the law ?" Should I say that food 
cannot clothe us, do I say that food is of no 
use ? Should I say that clothing cannot feed 
us, am I crying down the use of clothing? Cer- 
tainly not. Every thing is good in its own 
10* 



110 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



place, and for its own use. Even so in the 
case before us. Faith serves to justify the soul 
before God, and good works serve to justify 
faith before men. In other words, one is the 
fruit-bearing tree ; the other the fruit itself, 
which this good tree bears. Having given this 
brief bird's-eye-view of the doctrine of justifica- 
tion, I proceed next to lay before you some of 
the most important uses of the law. 

1. One important use of the law is to declare 
the sovereignty of God — to assert his supreme 
and everlasting dominion over us. Some mi- 
nute philosophers, after descanting upon the 
amplitude and wonders of creation, tell us 
that "man is but an atom of an atom world," 
and therefore too insignificant to be noticed by 
the great God ; but, let it be remembered, that 
there is, so to speak, a twofold universe ; a uni- 
verse of worlds and systems, and also a universe 
of minute existences — r animalcules, for exam- 
ple, so exceedingly minute, that it would re- 
quire a thousand of them to occupy the space 
of a grain of sand ! And now, if, in comparison 
with the one universe, man dwindles into in- 
significance and becomes "an atom of an atom 
world in comparison with the other universe, 
man rises into vast importance — becomes a 
giant, a colossus, a world, a universe in him- 
self, and therefore worthy of notice — the mi- 
nute philosopher himself being judge. But 
this matter apart : the law itself proves, that. 



THE USES OF THE LAW. Ill 

however insignificant man is, in comparison 
with the immensity of the works of God, he is 
deemed of sufficient importance to be made the 
subject of divine legislation. The very ex- 
istence of the law proves this ; whilst its com- 
pass makes known God's determination to em- 
brace all men, and all their actions ; and its 
spirituality, proves the purpose of God to lay 
his hand upon the very springs of action, 
And, to crown the whole, the penalty of the 
law shows the divine determination to notice 
every violation of the law, and to surfer it in 
no case to be trampled upon with impunity. 
My brethren, it is a good thing to have the 
sceptre of the God of heaven over us ; but a 
still better thing, if possible, to know that this 
sceptre is over us. Now this law is a standing 
memorial of the fact : it declares, that God is 
our Sovereign ; that we are recognized as the 
subjects of his moral government ; and that we 
should act accordingly. Certainly this is a 
very important and most excellent use of the 
law. 

2. A second and very important use of the 
law, is to furnish a perfect code of moral pre- 
cepts ; and that it is perfect, we have demon- 
strated, as we think, in our first discourse."* 
But the evidence thereof may also be seen in 
the very remarkable fact, that no one, so far as 



* See page 18. 



112 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



I know, has ever suggested an amendment. 
Our representatives in Congress, embracing 
the collected wisdom of the nation, are annu- 
ally engaged in making laws, and amending 
and repealing them, and making new laws : 
but here w r e have a code of laws given more 
than three thousand years ago, and, if I mis- 
take not, no enlightened and virtuous man has 
ever desired their amendment or repeal. In 
this point of view, then, the moral law as given 
in the Bible, is of great use, of immense 
value. 

3. Another important use of the law is to curb 
the wicked — to hold them in check. The pro- 
hibitions of the law are as so many mountain 
barriers placed in the way of the transgressor ; 
and when these barriers are passed, then comes 
the penality of the law, like some mighty angel 
standing in the path of the transgressor, with 
a drawn sword in his hand, threatening to 
cleave him down, and thundering in his ear at 
every step the much needed warning — " Stand 
in awe and sin not !" But, 

4. The law is of use to convince the sinner 
that he is a sinner, a great sinner, lost, ruined, 
and undone. " By the law," says the apostle, 
" is the knowledge of sin." It may be con- 
sidered as a mirror, in which the sinner sees 
the defects and obliquities of his own moral 
character ; or, as a kind of balance, in which 
sinners and their actions are weighed and 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



113 



found wanting. Now, let any candid man 
take the ten commandments — let him read 
them all over carefully; and, reviewing his life, 
let him say, if he can, "All these command- 
ments I have strictly kept, from my youth up; 
I have broken not one." No, he cannot, but 
must rather say, with Job — " If I justify my- 
self, mine own mouth shall condemn me : If I 
say I am perfect, it shall also prove me per- 
verse." But the law is of use, not only to 
convince the sinner that he is a sinner, but 
that he is a great sinner ; that his sins are very 
numerous, and of great magnitude ; only let 
him take the law of the ten commandments, 
and read it, in connexion with our Saviour's 
sermon upon the mount, expounding its ex- 
tent and spirituality ; and, if I mistake not, he 
will have such views of himself as he never 
had before. Sins of omission and sins of 
commission ; sins of thought, of word, and of 
deed, how very many ! And, O ! if the Spirit 
of God should pour light upon the mind of 
the sinner, and set home the claims of the law 
upon his conscience with divine power, me- 
thinks he will better understand the language 
of Eliphaz to Job : " Is not thy wickedness 
great ? and thine iniquities infinite ?" — " I was 
alive without the law, once," says the apostle, 
" but when the commandment came, sin re- 
vived, and I died." Time was, when he 
thought himself no great sinner ; "his hopes 



114 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



of heaven were firm and bright," but when 
the commandment came, with a convincing 
power and light, his views were changed, and 
he had to confess himself to be a great sinner, 
yea, even the chief of sinners. The language 
of the poet, I presume, many in this assembly 
can well understand. 

" My sins appeared but small before, 

'Till terribly I saw 
How perfect, holy, just and pure, 

Was thine eternal law. 
Then felt my soul the heavy load, 

My sins revived again ; 
1 had provoked a dreadful God, 

And all my hopes were slain F 

But the law is of use to convince the sinner 
that he is a great sinner, by its dreadful penal- 
ty. In human legislation, it is deemed a mat- 
ter of vital importance to proportion, as far as 
possible, the punishment to the offence ; and 
if this principle be flagrantly violated, all cry 
out against the law. For example : suppose 
the legislature of this State should make a law 
of this kind, that whoever shall be convicted 
of murder, in the first degree, shall be fined 
one dollar, and imprisoned one hour. Would 
not all cry out against that law ? — and why ? 
Because the proportion between the punish- 
ment and the offence is not maintained. What ! 
the penalty for wilful murder only one dollar 
fine, and one hour imprisonment ! This will 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 115 

never do. Well, suppose, at the next session 
of the legislature this law should be repealed, 
and a law of this kind enacted : — If a person 
shall defraud another to the amount of five 
dollars, upon conviction thereof, he shall suf- 
fer death, without benefit of clergy ? Would 
not all intelligent persons throughout the State 
cry out against this law also ? — and why? For 
the same reason as in the other case — the 
principle of proportioning the punishment to 
the offence is not regarded. Now, if this prin- 
ciple be important in human governments, 
why may it not be in the divine ? The Ruler 
of the universe must certainly fully under- 
stand this matter, and be aware of its immense 
importance. And now, what is the penalty of 
the divine law? "The soul that sinneth, it 
shall die." " Indignation and wrath, tribula- 
tion and anguish upon every soul of man that 
sinneth." " Cursed is every one that con- 
tinueth not in all things written in the book 
of the law, to do them." That is, according to 
the Scriptures, every sin deserves the wrath 
and curse of God, both in this life and that 
which is to come ; or, in other words, everlast- 
ing perdition is the penalty of God's violated 
law. This, my brethren, is an awful penalty. 
Now, then, if the sinner be not a great sinner, 
one of two things must be true — either that 
God lacks understanding, or, he is a malig- 
nant Being ! Certainly he does not lack un- 



116 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



derstanding, for he is the "Only Wise God." 
He cannot lack understanding, for is he not 
the unoriginated Source of all intelligence ? 
No ! no ! his understanding is infinite. He 
knows precisely the true demerit of sin, and 
he knows perfectly how to proportion the 
punishment to the offence ; this must be ad- 
mitted by all : then, if the sinner still denies 
that he is a great sinner, he must come to this 
frightful and blasphemous conclusion, that 
God, knowing full well how to proportion the 
punishment to the offence, fixes the penalty 
vastly beyond what he knows to be just ! O ! 
my friends, this cannot be, for God is Love, 
and he has given the most affecting proof of 
his kind regards for man, by sending his only 
begotten and well-beloved Son, to die for our 
sinful race. God, then, being infinitely wise, 
and knowing precisely what sin deserves — be- 
ing infinitely good, and having no disposition 
to make the penalty too severe, it follows ne- 
cessarily, that, whether the sinner is convinced 
of it or not, in the sight of God he is a great 
sinner, an awful sinner, a hell-deserving sin- 
ner ! 

There are several reasons why the sinner 
may not be sensible of the exceeding sinfulness 
of sin, and consequently of his own demerit as 
a sinner. 1. He knows not the excellence of 
the law which he has violated. The more ex- 
cellent a law is, and the more intimately con- 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



117 



nected it may be, with matters of vital im- 
portance, the greater is the crime of violating 
that law. To illustrate my meaning : In the 
world of nature, the principle of gravitation is 
a principle of vital importance, causing all 
worlds and things to maintain their proper 
stations, and move in beauteous and delightful 
harmony. Now, suppose a blow could be 
given to that principle of gravitation, derang- 
ing the harmony of all worlds, and causing 
worlds and systems to dash together in wild 
confusion; w T ould not that blow, thus given, 
and thus operating, be a very serious matter ? 
Now, let it be remembered, that what the 
principle of gravitation is in the natural world, 
the principle of love is in the moral world — 
that which binds every thing in harmony with 
each other, and all to the throne of God : there- 
fore, all the requirements of the law, being 
summed up in love, as the Saviour teaches, 
sin, which breaks the law, of course strikes a 
blow at this principle of moral harmony ; and, 
O ! in the frightful history of human depravity, 
and in the present sad condition of our fallen 
world, we have an exhibition of the nature of 
sin, showing that, of a truth, it is no light mat- 
ter, but is an evil of unspeakable magnitude. It 
wars against love, and against the well-being 
and happiness of all the creatures which God 
has made. 

Another reason why the sinner may not be 
11 



118 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



duly conscious of the fact, is this, that he does 
not reflect, as he should, upon the character of 
that Being against whom his sin is committed. 
It is not against a man, a worm like our- 
selves, nor an angel, but against the great God 
of heaven and earth, to whom also we are 
indebted for our existence, and every blessing, 
that he has sinned; as the Psalmist says, 
" Against, thee, thee only, have I sinned, and 
done this evil hi thy sight, that thou mightest 
be justified when thou speakest ; and be clear 
when thou judgest." If a man strike a blow at 
another, it is a violation of law, and deserves 
punishment; if the person w r ho was struck was 
a master, or a father, venerable by reason of 
silvery locks and hoary age, the offence is 
greater, and deserves a severer punishment. 
But suppose the person upon whom the blow 
was inflicted, to be a king, a lawful monarch 
upon his throne, in robes of royalty — certainly 
the offence would be still greater, and the 
punishment deserved, still more condign : thus 
the criminality of the act and its punishment 
must be graduated by the character or the dig- 
nity of the person against whom the offence has 
been committed. Now, sin strikes a blow at 
the Eternal God ! our Heavenly Father, our 
Divine Master, the Ancient of Days, and the 
alone Monarch of all worlds. Yes, sin strikes 
a blow at this great and glorious Being; pour- 
ing contempt upon all the perfections of his 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



119 



character, and doing what it can to lay his 
sacred honours in the dust. Now, if the prin- 
ciple of graduation be correct, (and certainly 
it- is,) then, God being an infinite being, sin 
against him is an offence of infinite magnitude, 
and deserving of infinite punishment. 

But, yet another reason why the sinner may 
not understand the exceeding sinfulness of sin, 
and his own demerit, is this — he does not think 
how much evil may flow from one sinful act, 
" Behold, how great a matter a little fire kind- 
leth !" A single spark of fire may be consid- 
ered a small matter, but let it be struck, in a 
magazine of gunpowder, or let it kindle upon 
a dwelling, in a large city, and it may extend, 
and extend, and extend, until the whole city is 
laid in ruins ! Here is a lake, having a smooth 
surface ; a stone is cast into that lake ; ripples 
are formed, and their concentric circles spread, 
and spread, and spread, until perchance, they 
sweep the farthest shore ! Here are a thousand 
crystal pillars, of immense value, upon a level 
plain, all standing in a row. An impulse is 
given to the first, which throws it down ; in 
falling, that pillar strikes a second, and that, 
in falling, strikes a third ; and so on to the last ; 
and lo ! a thousand crystal pillars lie shattered 
upon the ground, all traced to the single im- 
pulse given to the first pillar ! Here is a man, 
a father ; in the presence of his little boy, he 
utters an oath ; that little boy catches that oath 



120 THE USES OF THE LAW. 

from his father's lips — he becomes profane — 
and, through all time profaneness is handed 
down, it may be, from generation to generation, 
until it leads, perchance, to the perdition of a 
hundred thousand souls ! O ! think of the 
frightful consequences of the first sin commit- 
ted by the first human pair. One poet says, 
and very correctly, 

" Our mother took the poisoned fruit, 
And tainted all our blood." 

And another, graphically says, 

u her rash hand in evil hour, 

Forth reaching to the fruit, she plucked, she ate ! 
Earth felt the wound ! and Nature, from her seat, 
Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe ! 
That all was lost !" 

No man knows, or can know, all the bearings 
and ultimate effects of sin ; for the consequen- 
ces thereof, may not only flow down the long 
stream of time, but, through the wide ocean of 
eternity ! The fact is, it is none but God who 
knows, or can know, what a dreadful evil sin 
is ! In fixing the penalty of the law he has 
given his estimate of it. This is his judgment, 
and we are sure his judgment is true. Of 
course, then, whether the sinner be sensible of 
it or not, he is a great sinner. O excellent use 
of the law, to convince the sinner that tremen- 
dous guilt lies upon his soul ! This conviction 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 121 

is wholesome ; this conviction is necessary; — 
for, if not convinced of our sin, we shall never 
feel as we should our need of a Saviour. "The 
whole," says the Saviour, " have no need of a 
physician, but they that are sick." " I came 
not to call the righteous, but sinners to repent- 
ance." Be entreated then, my unconverted 
friends, not to brace yourselves up against con- 
viction. Be willing to know the truth, how- 
ever it may startle you, and humble you, and 
lay your soul in the dust ; for, thank God, " it 
is a faithful saying and worthy of all accepta- 
tion, that Christ Jesus came into the world to 
save sinners" — even the chief. But, to pro- 
ceed. In speaking of the claims and penalties 
of the law, some may object to its severity, in 
several things. For example, when they hear 
the sentence denounced, "Cursed is every one 
that continueth not in all things written in the 
book of the law, to do them;" — perceiving 
that the "moral man," so called, if a sinner at all, 
is as truly brought under the curse of the law 
as the greatest transgressor, they think that 
this is not just. What ! one single sin expos- 
ing the soul to the penalty of the law? Yes, 
certainly, in the very nature of the case, this 
must be so. Here is a man who has burned 
down the house of his neighbour. He is arrest- 
ed, he is convicted of the crime of arson. What 
is the penalty for arson in this commonwealth? 
Is it imprisonment? or is it death? No matter 
' 11* 



122 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



what it is, the person convicted of burning- 
down one house, is as certainly exposed to the 
penalty, as if he had burned down a thousand. 
Now, if this principle is admitted to be correct 
in human law, why should it not also be deem- 
ed correct in the divine law ? Besides, does not 
the apostle James say, ■? He that offendeth in 
one point, is guilty of all V If one link in a 
chain be broken, the chain as certainly falls 
to the ground as if every link had been broken. 
I do not say that the pangs of the second 
death will be as great for one transgressor as for 
another ; but it is certain, that the second 
death awaits every transgressor, according to 
the provisions of the law, for w r e repeat it, it 
is written, and it must stand for ever, " Cursed 
is every one that continueth not in all things 
written in the book of the law to do them." 

Another objection is based upon the doctrine 
of everlasting punishment, which the law de- 
nounces. The point of the objection is this : 
that a person should be everlastingly punished 
in the world to come, for the sins committed 
in this brief state of existence. " There is 
no proportion," says the objector, "between 
the time occupied in the commission of sin, 
and the duration of the punishment." And 
is there any reference to the time occupied in 
human law? Here is a man who draws a 
pistol, fires it, and, in one second of time, 
his enemy falls dead at his feet ! He is ar- 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 123 

rested — he is tried for wilful murder : — all 
the witnesses agree that he did fire the pistol, 
and did thus murder the man. Now, the 
lawyer rises to plead for his client at the 
bar, — and some of these lawyers, we know, 
are very learned and ingenious — but did you 
ever hear a single lawyer bring forward an 
argument of this kind? — "May it please the 
court, my client stands indicted on a charge 
of murder ; I admit that my client did mur- 
der the deceased, but I wish your honour 
and the gentlemen of the jury to notice, that 
it did not take my client twenty years to 
perpetrate the deed ; nor ten — nor even one ! 
It was the work of a second. I hope the 
court will perceive that the offence is a tri- 
fling one, and that your honour, without 
further delay, will direct the sheriff to dis- 
miss the jury!" Did you ever hear of any 
lawyer, learned or not, make a speech of this 
kind? I suspect not. Well, the judge gives 
the charge. Did you ever hear a judge give 
a charge of this kind: — "Gentlemen of the 
jury, you have heard the testimony and all 
the pleadings in the present case ; and now, 
it only remains for me to give you the 
charge. Gentlemen of the jury, two points 
will engage your attention. First — matter of 
fact. Secondly, matter of law. With regard 
to the first point — you have heard the tes- 
timony of the witnesses, and the case is ad- 



124 THE USES OF THE LAW. 



mitted, even by the counsel for the prisoner 
to be clear ; he murdered the man, and now 
it only remains for me to instruct you, in 
the matter of the law. Gentlemen of the 
jury, you are to inquire, diligently, how 
long it took the prisoner at the bar to mur- 
der the deceased. If it took him twenty 
years, it is a great offence against the law, 
and calls for a heavy punishment. If it took 
him ten years, it is only half as great an 
offence, and deserves only half that punish- 
ment. If it took one year, it is only one- 
twentieth part as serious an offence.; but if 
you find evidence to believe that the perpe- 
tration of the deed occupied no more than 
a second of time, it is a matter of no conse- 
quence at all, and you will clear the pri- 
soner !" 

Did you ever hear, my brethren, of any 
learned judge giving a charge of this kind? 
He had better not. It would be a rightful 
ground of impeachment. Human law lays no 
stress upon the time occupied in the violation 
of the law, the simple question is, touching 
the fact of violation : — that fact established, the 
penalty follows as a matter of course, whether 
the time occupied has been long or short. If 
this principle be correct in human law, w T hy 
may it not also be correct in that law which is 
divine ? But, farther : does not the law of the 
land also, in many cases, recognize and act 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



125 



upon the principle of everlasting punishment? 
Here is a man convicted of murder, and he is 
sentenced to die % Do you ever see him at the 
ballot-box any more 1 Do you ever see him 
on the street, in the store, at the neighbour's 
house, or even at his own home any more ? 
The other day he was a freeman, and in- 
vested with all the rights and privileges of 
a good citizen, but, by the law of the land, 
he is stripped of these rights and privileges, 
and stripped of them for ever. But take 
another case — the case of confinement for life 
in the penitentiary. The man is there ! if he 
lives five years, he is there five years! if he 
lives ten years, he is there ten years ! if he 
lives twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years, he is 
there still, and never comes out. The idea is 
this : human law was made for the body. It 
grasps the body of the offender, as it were, 
with an iron grasp, and never lets go so long 
as it can retain its grasp, that is, until the 
body dies. Even so the divine law, made for 
the soul, grasps the soul, and will not let go, 
so long as it can retain its grasp ; that is, until 
the soul dies ; but the soul never dies, there- 
fore the punishment is everlasting. 

This is an argument which, I humbly con- 
ceive, cannot be set aside by the wit or inge- 
nuity of any man, especially as it falls in with 
the solemn declaration of our blessed Saviour, 
H Where their worm dieth not, and the fire 



126 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



is not quenched." Another idea connected 
with the subject is this, that those who die 
in an unregenerate state go to the world of 
woe, with the carnal mind which is enmity 
against God. They will, according to the 
Scriptures, blaspheme the God of heaven, be- 
cause of their pains, and repent not ; that is, 
they will continue to sin, and if they continue 
to sin, may not God continue to punish them? 
Remember the closing words of the twenty- 
fifth chapter of Matthew : " These," (the wick- 
ed,) " shall go away into everlasting punish- 
ment, but the righteous into life eternal." Let 
none trifle with matters of such immense im- 
portance. Go, careless sinner ! trifle with the 
forked lightning ! Go, trifle with the sweep- 
ing whirlwind ! and trifle with the raging pes- 
tilence! but trifle not, 0 trifle not, with the 
interests of that immortal soul of yours, which 
must be saved or lost, happy or miserable, 
through all eternity ! 

But, as we have said, the law is of use to 
convince the sinner not only that he is a sin- 
ner, and a very great sinner, but that he is 
also a sinner lost, ruined, and undone. The 
argument is this : the law demands perfect 
obedience. The penalty is death. The sinner 
has broken the law, and the law thunders out, 
" Satisfaction or death ;" but the sinner can 
make no satisfaction. Repentance will not do. 
Will the merchant take tears in payment for 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



127 



what is due him? or will repentance release 
the murderer, under sentence of death ? Nor 
will reformation answer. If the debtor says to 
the merchant creditor, "If you will cancel my 
debt I will get in your debt no more ; I will 
turn over a new leaf, and will pay cash, in all 
time to come ?" Will that satisfy the mer- 
chant ? Or, if the murderer condemned to die, 
should say to the judge who has pronounced 
the sentence, " I will commit murder no more ;" 
will this satisfy the judge, or rather the law, 
of which he is but the organ ? O no ! if all 
debtors were released, and all criminals par- 
doned on these terms, the very foundations of 
society would be broken up, and the most im- 
portant affairs of human life would be thrown 
into perfect confusion, and the consequences to 
the community would be most alarming. No, 
my brethren, sin is too dreadful an evil, too 
terrible in its tendencies, for God to treat it as 
a venial affair. For the good of the universe 
the law must speak this language — " Satisfac- 
tion or death." The sinner himself can make 
no satisfaction — then the sinner stands exposed 
to the penalty, like the culprit whose head is 
upon the block is exposed to the axe of the 
executioner. 

But this leads me to mention yet another 
use of the law, and one which I love to men- 
tion — it is this : — To convince the sinner that 
he needs a saviour, and without an interest in 



128 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



the atoning sacrifice of the great Redeemer, 
he must perish, without mercy and without 
hope! "The law," says the Apostle," "is a 
schoolmaster to bring us to Christ." All its 
precepts and all its penalties — all its lightnings 
and all its thunders, have a direct and power- 
ful tendency to cut the sinner off from all his 
self-righteous plans and self-righteous depen- 
dence, and to shut him up to the plan proposed 
in the gospel. It may be represented thus : — 
The law finds the sinner careless and secure in 
his sins ; setting before the sinner its claims 
and penalties, it charges home guilt upon his 
soul. The sinner, waking up in alarm, pro- 
mises repentance. " How can tears on earth 
wash out those sins written in heaven ?" says 
the law. "Pay what thou owest ! The soul 
that sinneth, it shall die !" " O spare me," 
cries the sinner, "I will not only repent of 
my sins, but I will reform. I will become a 
better man." "All in vain," says the law, "a 
better sacrifice is required ; without the shed- 
ding of blood, there is no remission." "O, 
well," says the sinner, yet more alarmed, "if 
it must be so, I consent ; I am willing to lay 
down my life as an atonement for my sins !" 
"Neither will this answer," says the law. — 
"You have sinned against an infinite God, and 
divine justice demands an infinite atonement, 
or death. Thou canst not make this atone- 
ment ; then prepare for death. Now hear your 



THE USES, OF THE LAW. 



129 



sentence — " Cursedis every one that continueth 
not in all things written in the book of the law 
to do them." O, dreadful ! the sinner is con- 
demned! is sentenced to eternal death! What 
is to be done ? Let him cry for mercy ! The 
law knows no mercy ; stern and inexorable, it 
still rolls its thunders over the sinner's soul, 
" Cursed is every one that continueth not in all 
things written in the book of the law, to do 
them." And now all the sinner's legal plans 
and legal hopes are fled, and fled forever ! Un- 
der the curse of God's righteous law, he is 
sinking down — sinking down ! Despair is 
gathering its terrors around him ! and now he 
gives himself up for lost. But, hark ! what 
sweet voice is that? — "Poor sinner, dying sin- 
ner ! look from the borders of the pit to my 
recovering grace!" — "Is this thy voice, my 
Saviour! my loving, bleeding, dying Lord?" 
says the sinner. " Welcome, welcome, dear Re- 
deemer ! welcome to this heart of mine. O 
blessed Saviour, I take thee on thy terms, on 
any terms — 

c Here Lord I give myself away, 
'Tis all that I can do.' " 

A stern master, as the story goes, had, by his 
repeated corrections, embittered the life of a 
poor slave. This poor slave sought comfort in 
religion, and found it. Laid upon a bed of 
death, he was very happy ; ready to depart, and 
12 



130 



THE USES OF THE LAW. 



to be with Christ, which was far better. At 
this moment his stern master stepped into his 
room, and stood near his dying bed. The 
dying slave perceived his master, and, with 
much emotion, grasped his master's hand, and 
brought it to his lips, and kissed it, saying, 
" Blessings upon this hand! Blessings upon 
this hand ! This hand has saved my soul !" 
So, the sinner brought to Christ by the terrors 
of the law, may say, " Blessings upon the law ! 
Blessings upon the law ! It was stern and 
severe — it humbled me, it scourged me — it 
taught me that I was a sinner, a great sinner, 
a sinner lost, ruined and undone — it made me 
feel my need of a Saviour — it was a school- 
master to bring me to Christ! Blessings upon 
the law ! in this way it has saved my soul !" 
May the law do its office upon the heart of 
every sinner in this assembly this morning. 
Amen, and Amen ! 



THE SINNER WEIGHED, ETC. 131 



SERMON V. 

THE SINNER WEIGHED AND FOUND WANTING. 

Daniel v. 27. — Tekel ; thou art weighed in the balances, and art 
found wanting. 

Amidst the darkness of heathenish ignorance 
and superstition, there have not been wanting 
plain and unequivocal evidences of a superin- 
tending and retributive Providence. Pharaoh 
was visited with memorable judgments for re- 
fusing to let the children of Israel go ; and 
history informs us, that not only Belshazzar, 
(to whom the words of our text immediately 
apply,) but Antiochus Epiphanes, Galerius 
Maximus, and many others, were signally pun- 
ished for their daring impiety. With regard 
to Belshazzar, he was a most dissolute mon- 
arch. Neglecting affairs of his empire, he gave 
himself up to every excess of riot and de- 
bauchery : but the measure of his iniquity was 
now full. The period was at last arrived, 
when he should reckon with his God. On 
one of the national festivals, (supposed to be 
in honour of the golden image which had been 
set up by Nebuchadnezzar in the plains of 
Dura,) Belshazzar, the king, we are told, made a 
great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank 



132 THE SINNER WEIGHED 



wine before the thousand ; and, as if it were not 
enough that he should be a bacchanalian, he 
must needs add sacrilege to his intemperance. 
In the midst of his banquetings, he orders the 
golden vessels, which had been brought from 
Jerusalem, and placed in the temple of Belus, 
in Babylon — he orders, I say, these golden ves- 
sels to be brought into the banqueting room, 
that his princes, his wives, and his concubines 
might drink wine therein ; thus turning to a 
profane use those vessels which had been con- 
secrated, and set apart for the most sacred pur- 
poses. But there was a righteous God on high ! 
There was an avenging angel just at hand ! 

Whilst Belshazzar was thus making an os- 
tentatious parade of his wealth and grandeur ; 
whilst he was drinking wine to gods of gold, 
and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of 
stone — in the midst of his re veilings, banquet- 
ings, and abominable idolatries — in the very 
same hour of the night, came forth fingers of a 
man's hand, and wrote over against the candle- 
stick, upon the plaster of the wall of the king's 
palace. The king saw it, and his countenance 
was changed, and his thoughts troubled him. 
The king saw it ; and the joints of his loins 
were loosed, and his knees smote one against 
another. The king saw it ; and he cried out 
in alarm, and commanded to bring in the astro- 
logers, the Chaldeans, and the sooth-sayers. 
They came ; they saw the writing, but they 



AND FOUND WANTING. 133 

could neither read it nor give the interpretation 
thereof. At length, by the advice of the queen 
mother, Daniel is called in. He read the writ- 
ing ; he gave the interpretation thereof The 
words are few, but, indeed, they are full of ter- 
ror! — "Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin." One 
of which we have selected for our considera- 
tion, "Tekel f the meaning of which is — 
"Thou art weighed in the balances, and art 
found wanting." How dreadful the interpreta- 
tion ! Weighed in the balances and found 
wanting ! Alas ! the trial is over ; the decision 
is made ; the sentence is gone forth ; and all 
this announced in a manner so awful — so mys- 
terious ! Methinks it fell upon Belshazzar's 
ear, as the sudden pealing thunder of a mid- 
night storm ! Hushed is the voice of mirth. 
Silent the song of revelry. The king and his 
courtiers, stupified with amazement, await in 
awful suspense, the unseen but hovering judg- 
ment. For a moment the palace, which had 
been ringing with all manner of music, and 
the songs of mirth and revelry, is wrapt in the 
solitude and silence of the grave. Suddenly 
the silence is broken. The voice of alarm 
rings along the streets ! It is the clashing of 
arms ; the shrieks of the wounded — the groans 
of the dying, commingled with the thundering 
shouts of a victorious foe. The Lord God 
Almighty has opened to Cyrus the gates of 
brass, and has broken in sunder the bars of iron 
12* 



134 



THE SINNER WEIGHED 



Babylon is taken ! Soldiers crowd into the 
palace — Belshazzar is slain. O ! disastrous 
night ; where is Belshazzar's pomp and glory 
now ? He was flushed with wine ; but he is 
now icy cold in death ! His royal robes, of 
gold and purple, are torn and rolled in his own 
blood. The impious monarch, in the midst of 
his bacchanalian debauch is hurried to the bar 
of a thrice holy God. You tremble, perchance, 
at the doom which awaits him. O sinner! sin- 
ner ! think of Belshazzar, and be wise. Are 
you shocked that I should insinuate a compari- 
son between you and this wicked king. Re- 
member you live in a gospel land ; Belshazzar 
lived not in a gospel land. You have a Bible ; 
Belshazzar had no blessed Bible. You have 
heard of the dear dying Saviour ; Belshazzar 
never heard of this great Legate from the skies. 
And remember, you must be weighed in the 
balances too, and what though you be not found 
as much wanting as Belshazzar, if found want- 
ing at all, in the great day of judgment, you 
will be for ever undone. My purpose is, not to 
sketch the character of this impious and idola- 
trous king — but to bring forward two classes of 
characters, and weigh them in the balances of 
the sanctuary. The first class of characters 
will embrace those who are heterodox in senti- 
ment — those who embrace some fundamental 
error. The second class will consist of those 
who may be very orthodox or correct in senti- 



AND FOUND WANTING. 



135 



ment, but are not so in practice, All these we 
purpose now to weigh in the balances of the 
sanctuary — and, let it be remembered, it does 
not need the forms and solemnities of the judg- 
ment day to ascertain any given character. 
Here, in the Scriptures before me, we have the 
balances of the sanctuary ; and if weighed in 
these, and found wanting, you may be as sure 
it is according to the decision of heaven, as if 
it were actually announced, in a voice of thun- 
der from the throne of the Great Eternal ! To 
the law and to the testimony, if it speak not 
according to this, it is because there is no light 
in them. 

Class I. Those who are heterodox in senti- 
ment, or those who embrace fundamental error. 

1 . The Atheist. — When we look abroad upon 
the heavens, and mark the garniture of the sky 
— when we contemplate our own bodies, so 
fearfully and wonderfully made ; or when we 
look around, and observe the proofs of design 
on every hand, it really seems astonishing that 
any man in his senses should deny the exist- 
ence of a God. But, as Spinoza, and Vaninni, 
and several members of the French Convention 
advocated atheistical sentiments, we are dis- 
posed to believe that some persons, in the 
plenitude of their pride, may, per adventure, 
persuade themselves that there is no God. 
Now, on the supposition that there is such a 
character, let the atheist be weighed in the 



136 



THE SINNER WEIGHED 



balances of the sanctuary. What says the 
Psalmist ? " The fool hath said in his heart, 
There is no God." Ps. xiv. I. And this is 
condemnatory ; but what is the language of 
Paul, in his epistle to the Romans ? — " The 
invisible things of him, from the creation of 
the world, are clearly seen, being understood 
by the things that are made, even his eternal 
power and Godhead, so that they are without 
excuse." Now, if atheists in pagan lands are 
without excuse, certainly those who live amid 
the splendours of gospel day are also without 
excuse. The atheist, then, being weighed in 
the balances, is found wanting. But, 

2. Let the Deist next be placed in the 
balances. There have been deists, no doubt, 
in every age ; but this name was assumed by 
certain persons in France and Italy, who, al- 
though inclined to atheistical sentiments, chose 
rather to be called deists. Deists differ in many 
things, but agree in one particular, viz : in 
rejecting the sacred volume as a divine inspi- 
ration. Now, to the law and to the testimony. 
In Rev. xxii. 19, it is thus written — "If any 
man shall take away from the words of the 
book of this prophecj^, God shall take away 
his part out of the book of life, and out of the 
holy city." But the deist, or infidel, takes awaj- 
not only a part — he takes away the whole of 
God's blessed word. If this should meet the 
eye of an infidel, or deist, he will, no doubt, be 



AND FOUND WANTING. 



137 



disposed to smile at my simplicity — that I 
should presume to weigh him in the balances 
of the sanctuary. He rejects these balances, 
which are suspended as it were from the throne 
of Almighty God, and he would be weighed 
in balances of his own — balances framed by 
his own deceitful heart, and poised aloft by 
Apollyon, the angel of the burning pit. De- 
luded mortal ! How dost thou know that thy 
balances are correct? What angel whispered it 
in thine ear? To what high authority wilt 
thou appeal ? Deluded mortal ! I ask again, 
Hovv r dost thou know that thy balances are cor- 
rect ? Who stamped them ? Now, these balan- 
ces of the sanctuary are divinely stamped. — 
They bear the stamp of prophecy; the stamp of 
miracles ; the stamp of holiness ; — they bear 
many a clear stamp divine. If the balances of 
the infidel be correct, how comes it to pass that 
the champion of infidelity* recanted when he 
was sick, and cried aloud in terror when he 
died ? How comes it to pass that one in the 
hour of death said — "I am taking a leap into 
the dark ;"f and another cried out — " O, the 
insufferable pangs of hell and damnation.''^ 
Ah ! my readers, you have heard, it may be, of 
many an infidel recanting on a bed of death ; 
did you ever hear of a Christian then recant- 
ing? You have heard, no doubt, of many an 

* Voltaire. f Hobbes. J Francis Newport. 



138 



THE SINNER WEIGHED 



infidel, when he was about to die, sending for 
some Christian to comfort him. Did you ever 
hear of a single Christian, in such circum- 
stances, sending for some infidel to comfort 
him ? No, never ! Infidels, and those asso- 
ciated with them, are frequently seen going on, 
right merrily, in the broad road, pointing the 
finger of scorn at pilgrims in the narrow way; 
but whence is it, that when the river of death 
heaves into sight, they are usually so desirous 
of taking a short cut, to pass over at the Chris- 
tian's fording place 1 "Why do they, generally, 
not like their own fording place ? Ah ! too 
many fearful things are there ! Frequently 
despair is there ! Remorse is there ! and heavy 
clouds of wrath ! But, to the law and to the 
testimony — hear the language of the Saviour, 
and observe, it was uttered in his last inter- 
view T with his disciples, just as he was about 
to ascend up into heaven — " Go ye into all the 
world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 
He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be 
saved ; but he that believeth not, shall be 
damned." Mark xvi. 15, 16. The case is set- 
tled. The deist or infidel, dying in that state, 
dies without hope ! 

3. Let the Legalist be weighed next ; and by 
the legalist, I mean the self-righteous man, he 
who, valuing himself on account of the supposed 
excellence of his own moral character, feels no 
need of a Saviour, and consequently, neglects 



AND FOUND WANTING. 



139 



the great salvation. Doubtless there are some 
of this class in this assembly. Let the legalist 
then be placed in the balances. Now, "to the 
law and to the testimony :" What has the le- 
galist to weigh against the requirements of the 
law % Nothing, except it be a righteousness 
absolutely perfect ; for it is written, " Cursed is 
every one that continueth not in all things 
written in the book of the law to do them." 
And where is the man who has, strictly speak- 
ing, continued in all things written in the book 
of the law to do them ? In other words : where 
is the individual who has never sinned ? There 
is none upon the face of the earth, for the Bible 
says expressly, " There is not a just man upon 
earth, that doethgood and sinnethnot." And 
the apostle John says, " If we say we have no 
sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not 
in us." And again, in language yet more em- 
phatic, "If we say that we have not sinned, 
we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." 
The legalist, then, has no perfect righteous- 
ness of his own, and therefore has nothing to 
weigh against the requirements of the law ; 
and what has he to weigh against the require- 
ments of the gospel? Nothing, except it be 
the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus 
Christ ; but this, you will observe, on his own 
principles, he has nothing to do with. Then 
see how the case stands. The legalist, or self- 
righteous man, has nothing to weigh against 



140 



THE SINNER WEIGHED 



the requirements of the law ; nor has he any 
thing to weigh against the requirements of the 
gospel. Alas ! alas ! self-righteous man ! Thou 
art in an evil case; "thou art weighed in the 
balances, and art found wanting." 

4. Let the Universalist be next weighed in 
the balances of the sanctuary. The Univer- 
salist of the modern stamp believes that all, 
no matter how wicked they may have been, 
will go to heaven when they die. If so, why 
did the Saviour say, " Except ye repent ye 
shall all likewise perish." " He that belie veth 
not shall be damned and, " Except a man be 
born again he cannot see the kingdom of 
God." On the principles of the Universalist, 
these solemn declarations of the Saviour have 
no meaning at all; or, if they have, they mean 
the very opposite of what they express, even 
this — whether ye repent or not ye shall not 
perish. He that believeth not, shall not be 
damned ; and, whether a man be born again 
or not, he shall certainly see the kingdom of 
God; aye, shall certainly reach heaven — all 
Bible declarations to the contrary notwith- 
standing. O! what awful trifling with the 
Scriptures have we here ! But the Universal- 
ist may say, the change required takes place 
in death. Where is this doctrine taught in all 
the Bible? Point me out the chapter and the 
verse, if you can ! Whilst nothing of that kind 
can be found in all the sacred volume, we find 



AND FOUND WANTING. 141 

it thus written, "Whatsoever thy hand flndeth 
to do, do it with thy might, for there is no 
work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom 
in the grave whither thou goest." Eccl. ix. 10. 
Again, "The night cometh when no man can 
work." Again, " He that is unjust let him be 
unjust still, and he which is filthy let him be 
filthy still, and he that is righteous let him 
be righteous still, and he that is holy let him 
be holy still." Rev. xxii. 11. And again, 
"The rich man also died and was buried, and 
in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in tor- 
ments." Luke xvi. 23. But if these passages 
may, by wit and ingenuity, be set aside, there 
is one which certainly cannot, and I do think 
it must settle the matter with modern Univer- 
salists for ever. It is the language of the Sa- 
viour, "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall 
die in your sins." We know that many do 
not receive Christ as the Messiah. We know 
that many do not believe in him at all. Now, 
says the Saviour, "If ye believe not that I am 
he, ye shall die in your sins ; and he that 
dies in sin, of course must perish. But whilst 
there are many, very many other passages of 
Scripture, fatal to the doctrine of universal 
salvation, permit me to quote only two more. 
"The hour cometh," says the Saviour, "when 
all that are in their graves shall hear the voice 
of the Son of God, and shall come forth ; they 
that have done good, to the resurrection of life, 
13 



142 



THE SINNER WEIGHED 



and they that have done evil, to the resurrec- 
tion of damnation." John v. 29. The second 
passage is found in Gen. vi. " And God saw 
that the wickedness of man was great in 
the earth, and that every imagination of the 
thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, 
and God said I will destroy man from the face 
of the earth, but Noah found grace in the eyes 
of the Lord." Now, mark, God purposes to 
give an awful display of his wrath and indig- 
nation against the workers of iniquity, and, 
at the same time, to show his special regard 
for righteous Noah, who had found grace in 
his sight. And what does he do ? Why, he 
stretches forth the hand of his omnipotence, 
breaks up the fountains of the great deep, 
opens the windows of heaven, sends a mighty 
flood of waters upon the earth, and sweeps 
the whole world of the ungodly, right up into 
heaven ! Every man that was upon the face 
of the earth is swept right up into heaven, ex- 
cept righteous Noah ! and he, poor man, who 
had found grace in the eyes of the Lord, is 
left to toil and struggle, and suffer affliction 
here on earth ; whilst the abominable ones, 
who were so wicked that God could not endure 
them on earth, are taken immediately to his 
bosom in heaven ! moreover, if the Universal- 
ist is right, the sexton who puts the body 
down into the grave, called hell, is more to be 
feared than any other being in the universe. 



AND FOUND WANTING. 



143 



See Luke xii. 5. Men and brethren, can you 
believe this ? Certainly not ! No man in his 
senses can believe it — then the case is settled. 
The Universalist is weighed in the balances, 
and found wanting ; and if he should have no 
better foundation than he now has, as sure as 
there is a God in heaven, he will perish, and 
perish for ever ! With regard to the Univer- 
salists of former times, otherwise called hell- 
redemptionists, the doctrine embraced is so 
completely at war with the doctrine of grace, 
and the whole tenor of the sacred volume, that 
the theory of universal salvation on that plan 
is now exploded ; and being given up pretty 
much, even by its own former advocates, we 
need only remind you of the great gulf, which, 
according to the Saviour, is fixed between 
heaven and hell, which is never to be passed ; 
and also, remind you of the language of the 
Saviour in the twenty-fifth chapter of Mat- 
thew, and which describes the winding up 
scene of the great judgment-day : "And these 
shall go away into everlasting punishment, 
but the righteous into life eternal." Having 
weighed in the balances of the sanctuary those 
who embrace fundamental error, we proceed to 
bring forward 

Class II. This embraces those who may be 
very correct in sentiment, but are not so in 
practice. And, 

1. Let the unrighteous be weighed in the 



144 



THE SINNER WEIGHED 



balances of the sanctuary ; and by the unrigh- 
teous man, I mean the fraudulent man, the dis- 
honest man, the intemperate man, the gambler, 
the swindler, the man of cruelty and extortion- 
in short, all who openly and daringly trample 
upon the golden precept — " Whatsoever ye 
would that men should do to you, do ye even 
so to them." O, what a long, long list of 
crimes has the unrighteous man to answer for ! 
crimes various and multiform — against God — 
against man — against his own. He has not 
only neglected the lesser duties of social life, 
but the greater matters of the law. Against 
such, the blessed Saviour denounces an awful 
woe ; but the apostle Paul, in few words, settles 
the matter forever: — "Know ye not," says he, 
" that the unrighteous shall not inherit the 
kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither 
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor 
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with man- 
kind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, 
nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the 
kingdom of God." O, unrighteous man! open- 
ly wicked man! "Thou art weighed in the 
balances, and art found wanting." 

2. Let the worldling next be placed in the 
balances. Some are worldlings who would not 
and should not be esteemed unrighteous men, 
in the common acceptation of that term. By 
the worldling, I simply mean the person who 
loves the world, who loves it supremely ; who 



AND FOUND WANTING. 



145 



is ready to say, " Give me riches, honours, 
pleasures ; give me, moreover, health, friends, 
and long life, and this world will do for me, I 
desire no better." 

And now let us view the worldling- in his 
threefold character — As a man of fashion, a 
man of pleasure, and a man of business. Is he 
a man of fashion? He loves the praise of men 
more than the praise of God, the very character 
condemned in the sacred volume. John xii. 43. 
Is he a man of pleasure ? Then, according to 
the Prophet, he has committed two evils : "He 
has forsaken his Maker, the Fcuntain of living 
waters, and has hewn out unto himself broken 
cisterns which can hold no water." But is he 
a man of business? Mark this worldling! The 
morning dawns ; he rises refreshed and invigo- 
rated by the slumbers of the night ; but he 
offers no thanksgivings to God, for the repose 
and protection of the night. He leaves his 
chamber without prayer. And now he goes 
forth to the pursuits of the day. Still, mark 
that worldling ! His head, his heart, his soul, 
all are fastened upon the things of this world. 
He has no interval of serious thought ; never 
once does he say, " God be merciful to me a 
sinner !" And now, the shades of evening pre- 
vail ; he returns to his dwelling, and is there 
greeted by an affectionate wife, and sweet, 
rosy, lovely children — yes, the worldling, it 
may be, is in the midst of domestic comforts, 
13* 



THE SINNER WEIGHED 



one would think, enough to melt a heart of 
rock — enough to warm his whole soul into 
gratitude and love — but he thinks not of his 
heavenly Benefactor ; never once says, " Bless 
the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his 
benefits." Alas! he suffers "the mercies of 
heaven to lie forgotten in unthankfulness, and 
without praises die !" He is the head of a 
family. He has servants, and he has children, 
and it is his duty to set before them a good and 
pious example — his bounden duty, "to allure 
to brighter worlds, and lead the way ;" but he 
neglects his duty. Alas, the morning and the 
evening sun shines upon a prayerless house- 
hold. He lives as if there was no God in the 
heavens to inspect his conduct ; as if there was 
no judgment bar at which he must one day 
appear. The fact is, although he may not 
think so, he is a practical atheist. He loves 
the world, loves it supremely ; the world is his 
portion, his home, his all. Now, what says the 
Bible? "Love not the world, neither the things 
of the world ; for if any man love the world, 
the love of the Father is not in him." O world- 
ling, worldling, listen to me ! Thou art weighed 
in the balances, and art found wanting! And 
now, "What is a man profited, if he shall gain 
the whole world and lose his own soul?" O 
think upon this. If any man ever gained the 
world, that man was Alexander the Great. And 
now, suppose, after all, that he died in sin, and 



AND FOUND WANTING. 



147 



is now in the world of woe — what does it all, 
this moment, avail him? Come along, ye world- 
lings, come along with me, and let us, so to 
speak, go to the borders of the pit, and call up 
the shade of Alexander the Great from the 
vasty deep of hell. Where is Alexander the 
Great ? Let him now appear ! Methinks there 
I see him — but how changed ! Is this Alexan- 
der the Great? I see no glittering crown upon 
his head ! no royal robes invest his form ! his 
hand, too, it grasps no sceptre ! and his mighty 
generals, where are they ? I see them not ! Is 
this Alexander the Great? O that sepulchral 
groan ! that unearthly sound, that comes rat- 
tling upon my ear : — " Call me not Alexander 
the great, call me Alexander the lost!" Unhappy 
shade ! and art thou indeed lost, and lost for- 
ever? " O, Alexander the Great, what wouldst 
thou now give in exchange for thy soul?" 
Another sepulchral groan ! another unearthly 
sound ! — " Give ! I would give all the king- 
doms I ever conquered ! — I would give all the 
sceptres I ever grasped ! all the laurels I ever 
won ! — I would give the world ! — ten thousand 
worlds, to come out of this pit of despair !" 
But, hark ! that rush of agony ! that shriek of 
despair! The lost spirit, in hell, is sinking 
down, deeper, and deeper still ! O worldling, 
worldling, think! Remember, you are now 
weighed in the balances, and found wanting ; 
and, I repeat the solemn interrogatory of the 



148 



THE SINNER WEIGHED 



Saviour, "What is a man profited, if he shall 
gain the whole world, and lose his ow r n soul ?" 
O think upon this, before it be too late ! 

3. Let the profane swearer next be placed in 
the balances. Because of swearing, says the 
prophet, the land mourneth. There were pro- 
fane swearers in his day ; and alas ! there are 
but too many in our times ; and weighed in the 
balances of the sanctuary, nothing can be 
plainer than that they are found wanting — for 
the Psalmist says, " Thine enemies, O God, 
take thy name in vain." And, what is the lan- 
guage of the eternal God himself? "Thou 
shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God 
in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guilt- 
less that taketh his name in vain." This sin 
indicates peculiar hardihood ; as it is so ex- 
pressly forbidden ; and, what makes the matter 
worse, it is a kind of gratuitous sin, being 
committed without any adequate temptation. 
And this reminds me of the remark of an old 
writer, quaint, it is true, but very forcible. 
" The devil," says he, " sometimes turns fish- 
erman, and when he fishes for ordinary sinners 
he is willing to go to some expense ; he baits 
his hook with the riches of the world ; the 
honours of the world ; and the pleasures of the 
world ; but, when he fishes for profane swear- 
ers, he throws them the naked hook ! and they 
bite at the naked hook ! — cheap even in the 
devil's mouth." Of a truth, profane swearing 



AND FOUND WANTING. 



149 



is a dreadful sin, and seems, perhaps more than 
any other, to be the bubbling up of sheer de- 
pravity. Thank God, some are, in. mercy, 
made to see it, and repent before it is too late. 
I recollect a case. It interested me much at 
the time, and I think I shall never forget it. 
During a protracted meeting in a certain town 
in Kentucky, a gentleman of some considera- 
ble note called upon me, at my lodgings. He 
wished to connect himself with the church, on 
the following Sabbath. He had been remark- 
ably profane, but the Lord had been merciful 
to him, and he was now, as he hoped, a con- 
verted man. The case was this: He once had 
a lovely boy, an only son ; this beloved child 
gave evidence of early piety. When perhaps 
not more than nine years of age, he was laid 
upon a sick and dying bed. He talked sweetly 
about Jesus, and much about heaven. On one 
occasion, when near his end, he called his 
father to his bed side, and, with great respect 
and affection, said, " Papa, I wish to make one 
request of you before I die." " What is it, my 
darling?" said the weeping father, bending over 
his beloved and now dying. child. " O my dear 
son, your father is willing to do any. thing in 
the world for you, what do you wish me to 
do?" "Papa," said the dying child, "Dear 
papa, if you please, don't swear any more" 
The father, as he narrated the affecting inci- 
dent, wept. Tears rolling down his cheeks. 



150 



THE SINNER WEIGHED 



" O sir," said he to me, "I never had any thing 
to come with snch power to my soul before — 
the language of my dying boy, 'Papa, dear 
papa, if you please, don't swear any more.' Sir, 
it was blessed to my poor soul." I need only 
add, that the next day I saw that man seated at 
the table of the Lord ; and may we not suppose 
that when he comes to die, his cherub boy will 
hover over his dying bed, and be the first to 
welcome his happy spirit home to glory and 
to God ! And now, if there be a single pro- 
fane swearer present, let me sa}^ to him, as 
that dear dying child did to the father whom 
he loved, "If you please, don't swear any 
more /" 

4. Let the hollow hearted professor of reli- 
gion next be placed in the balances. Strange 
as it may appear, Voltaire took the sacrament 
of the Lord's supper ! Yes, that mouth of his, 
which uttered blasphemies against the Son of 
God — which taught treason against the Divine 
and immaculate Jesus — that mouth received 
the memorials of a Saviour's dying love. Can 
such a solemn farce as this please a holy God? 
"Nay, verily, be not deceived, God is not 
mocked, whatsoever a man soweth, that shall 
he also reap." No matter what may be the 
profession or outward show, if the heart be not 
sincere and right in the sight of God, it is all 
as a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. 
Even if there be no wilful hypocrisy, or out- 



AND FOUND WANTING. 



151 



rageous blasphemy, as in the case of Voltaire, 
a mere profession of religion can avail no- 
thing, for " a solemn sound upon a thoughtless 
tongue," is a poor thing, and 

" God abhors the sacrifice 
Where not the heart is found." 

Ah ! my brethren, believe me, sacramental 
wine can never wash away the sins of the soul ! 
nor can baptismal water cool the tongue of the 
false-hearted professor of religion in hell, tor- 
mented in penal flames ! Professor of religion ! 
remember the parable of the ten virgins. It is 
quite possible to have the lamp of profession 
without the oil of grace : the form without the 
power of godliness. And O ! remember, pe- 
culiarly deep and dreadful must be the damna- 
tion of those who fall from the heights of Zion 
into the flames of hell. Methinks, through all 
eternity the thoughts of the sacramental board 
will haunt them ; and, most terrible will it be 
to see those who once sat down with them at 
the table of the Lord, now in heaven, whilst 
they themselves are cast out ! O, then, let all 
who are in communion with the church, now 
examine themselves, whether they be in the 
faith — remembering the words of the apostle — 
"Neither circumcision availeth anything, nor 
uncircumcision, but a new creature." Let all 
who are professors of religion dig deep, and lay 
a good foundation, for, according to the Scrip- 



152 



THE SINNER WEIGHED 



tures, the mere profession of religion, -without 
the root of the matter, will not save the soul, 
The hollow-hearted professor of religion, then, 
having the name without the thing named — the 
form without the power of godliness, is weighed 
and found wanting. 

And now, as I wish to benefit every soul pre- 
sent, and as some may think the preacher has 
not reached their case, as they do not acknow- 
ledge themselves to belong exactly to any of the 
characters specified, permit me to put in the 
balances of the sanctuary one character more, 
and sure I am, it will embrace all w r ho are not 
on then way to heaven. 

5. The unrenewed, no matter who they are, 
or what they are, in other respects, they too are 
certainly wanting ; for, mark ! if unrenewed, 
they have never repented of their sins ; and 
what says the Scriptures ? — "Except ye repent, 
ye shall all likewise perish." If unrenewed, 
they have not believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
And what says the Bible 1 — " He that believeth 
not, shall be damned." And again — " If unre- 
newed, they have not been born again." And 
what says the glorious Son of God? — "Except 
a man be born again, he cannot see the king- 
dom of God." No matter, then, my dear 
friends, who or what you may be, I tell you the 
truth in Jesus Christ, I lie not — if you have not 
been renewed in the temper and disposition of 
your souls ; in other words if you have not 



AND FOUND WANTING. 153' 

experienced a change of heart, and become a 
new creature in Christ Jesus, you are still in 
the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity, and 
dying in that state, will certainly be lost. I 
have noticed that in every community there 
are persons who seem to be near the kingdom, 
but are not in it. They are amiable ; they are 
interesting ; they have some fine traits of cha- 
racter ; but they are not converted. They re- 
mind us of what is said of Naaman. "Now 
Naaman, captain of the host of the king of 
Syria, was a great man with his master, and 
honourable : moreover, he was a mighty man 
in valour, but he was a leper." So, these 
persons have many things to recommend 
them to the respect and affection of those 
around, but, alas ! they are strangers to God's 
converting grace. Mark that venerable man ! 
his locks are silvered with age ; benignity 
is seated upon his brow ; humanity lights up 
his faded countenance : — he has a purse for the 
needy, a shelter for the houseless, and a heart 
to sympathize with the sons and daughters of 
affliction. Perhaps, too, the patriot's flame 
still burns in his aged bosom ; but is this all ? 
Alas ! his knees have never been bent in hum- 
ble prostration at the mercy seat ! His hands 
have never been lifted up, in humble supplica- 
tion, at the throne of heavenly grace ! Whilst 
the snows of fifty, sixty, seventy winters have 
been bleaching his locks, his heart has been 
14 



154 THE SINNER WEIGHED 



cold, fast bound up in the ice of morality. 
What a pity that such a venerable man should, 
in the day of judgment, be found wanting. 
There goes an interesting young man! He 
has the flush of youth, joined with the discre- 
tion of riper years. He is admired and caressed, 
and deservedly, too, for he has an affectionate 
heart! a noble and a generous spirit! He is no 
debauchee ; he is regular in all his hours, tem- 
perate in all his indulgences ; no profane ex- 
pressions pollute his lips ; the world can see no 
stain in his moral character. He is the cham- 
pion of morality, and even the advocate of re- 
ligion. But is this all ! Alas ! he has entered 
the vestibule, but he has not entered the temple 
of religion. He has found many pearls, pre- 
cious pearls too, but not the " one pearl of great 
price." He has many things to recommend 
him, like the young man in the gospel, but, like 
the same young man, he lacks the one thing 
needful ; and lacking this, he lacks the key to 
heaven. And see, too, that interesting young 
female ! her temper is sweet, her manners are 
pleasing, her person is lovely ; fair as the first 
rose that bloomed in Paradise, and her admirers 
say she has 

" Grace in her steps ; heaven in her eye ; 
In all her gestures, dignity and love." 

She is her mother's rose, her father's pride, and 
the life of the circle in which she moves ; but 



AND FOUND WANTING. 



155 



is this all 1 Alas, she is no Mary ! has not 
chosen that good part which should not be 
taken from her — her heart is upon the world — 
she is a " lover of pleasures more than a lover 
of God." Like the interesting young man just 
mentioned, she has entered the vestibule, but 
not the temple of religion ; has found many 
pearls, but not the "one pearl of great price;" 
has many things to recommend her ; but, like 
that amiable young man, (who, perchance, may 
be her brother,) she, too, lacks the one thing 
needful ; and, lacking this, she lacks the key 
to heaven ! O who will not weep when such 
persons, who seem to be so near the kingdom, 
refuse to come to Christ, and perish in their 
sins ! But some persons may think it would 
be unjust in God to punish such innocent per- 
sons, and not right to send such "good-hearted" 
ones to the world of wo ; but, let it be remem- 
bered, the Bible recognizes no innocence on 
earth, but that which consists in the forgive- 
ness of sins ; and no good-he artedness on 
earth, but that which consists in the washing of 
regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy 
Ghost. The fact is, according to the Scrip- 
tures, all have sinned and, come short of the 
glory of God ; and, by the deeds of the law 
shall no flesh be justified in his sight ; and 
hence it is written : " Other foundation can no 
man lay than is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 
And it is true of all, " Except a man be born 



156 



THE SINNER WEIGHED 



again, lie cannot see the kingdom of God." All 
then, who are unrenewed, are in a state of 
wrath and condemnation! Weighed in the 
balances, they are found wanting. 

And now, my dear brethren, in closing, per- 
mit me to remark : I have brought forward 
several classes of characters, and weighed 
them in the balances of the sanctuary. Have I 
sketched the characters correctly? Have I 
weighed them with an even hand ? Have any 
of you, my dear hearers, been weighed and 
found wanting ? O, this is a serious matter ! 
Should the visible fingers of an invisible angel 
now write tekel over against you, upon the 
plaster of the wall, would not strange alarm 
seize upon you ? Would you not, like Belshaz- 
zar, cry out in terror ? And now tell me, O ye 
careless, Christless souls ! tell me, what mat- 
ters it, whether the visible fingers of an invis- 
ible angel write tekel on the wall against you, 
or the finger of inspiration write it here, in 
this volume, as with a sunbeam ? You, then, 
who have been weighed, and found wanting, 
tell me, do you not believe that you must 
die ? and dying, do you not believe that you 
must go to the judgment bar? — and, going to 
the judgment bar, do you not believe that you 
must be judged out of the things written in the 
sacred volume ? And does not this book now 
condemn you ? and if so, believe me, there 
is nothing wanting, this moment, to fix your 



AND FOUND WANTING. 157 

unhappy doom, but for God to fix your pre- 
sent character. And this he may do in one 
moment ; quick as lightning, and terrible as 
the last trump ! O, should the sun now be 
turned into darkness, and the moon into blood; 
should the stars now fall from the heavens, and 
the powers of the heavens be shaken ; should 
the archangel's trump, louder than ten thou- 
sand thunders, and more awful than the hoarse 
crash of falling worlds, now wake up the slum- 
bering dead! O, should you now seethe Judge 
descending, the throne erected, the books open- 
ed, the balances, in which souls and their ac- 
tions are to be weighed, poised aloft, and your 
souls about to be weighed — would you not 
tremble? Conscious that you are wanting, 
would not overwhelming horrors seize upon 
your soul? O, then, what a mercy that you 
did not die last night ! or when you were last 
sick! O what a mercy that you are not no w 
in eternity — your character fixed, your doom 
sealed for ever. What a mercy that you are 
still in the land of the living — still in a state 
of probation, and still under hope of heavenly 
grace ! And now, what is to be done ? Fly to 
Christ. Take refuge in his arms; for, sprinkled 
with his atoning blood, and found in him, you 
are safe. His blood cleanseth from all sin; and, 
arrayed in his righteousness, your souls shall 
find acceptance with God, and be secure amid 
all the thunderings and lightnings, and terrors 
14* 



158 THE CHARACTER AND REWARD 



of the judgment day! 0, sinner, fly to Christ, 
He is your only hope ; and fly, without delay. 
Death may be near ! Eternity may be just at 
the door! and, therefore, what thou doest, do 
quickly. 

" Sinner, perhaps this very day, 

Thy last accepted time may be ;. 
O shouldst thou grieve him now away, 
Then hope may never beam on thee !'* 



SERMON VI. 

THE CHARACTER AND REWARD OF THE EARTHLY 
MINDED. 

Prov. iii. 35. — Shame shall be the promotion of fools. 

The proverbs of Solomon are full of instruc- 
tion ; the language may sometimes appear harsh 
and abrupt, but the meaning is so much the 
more striking and impressive. This is the 
case with the passage at present under conside- 
ration. " Shame shall be the promotion of 
fools." Here, you will observe, the wise man 
calls persons of a certain description fools ; and 
let it be remembered, he did not mean those 
void of reason, who are fools in a natural sense ; 
but those, who, in matters of religion, act as if 



OF THE EARTHLY MINDED. 



159 



they were void of reason, and therefore may be 
called fools in a scriptural sense. The main 
difference between the one and the other seems 
to be this : The one acts in opposition to sound 
reason, through lack of a good understanding ; 
the other through lack of a right disposition. 
It is no uncommon thing for persons of a cer- 
tain description, proud of their own supposed 
wisdom, to look rather contemptuously upon 
the people of God, and to esteem them as poor, 
weak-minded, deluded ones ; and, sometimes, 
they even hesitate not to pronounce them fools. 
This day, I trust, the tables will be turned, and 
this reproach will be rolled away. Our pur- 
pose at this time, is, by simple, common sense, 
and scriptural argument, to establish this pro- 
position, that all unconverted persons — that all 
who, taken up with the things of this world, ne- 
glect the higher interests of eternity, that they 
are justly chargeable with folly, supreme folly. 
And this, I think will appear in the two follow- 
ing particulars : First, in the choice which they 
make ; and Secondly, in the conduct which 
they pursue. 

I. In the choice which they make. — We very 
frequently, and very correctly, form an idea of 
a person's wisdom, or folly, from what he 
chooses and most values. If, for example, a 
person should prefer an object of real and great 
value, to one of little or no value ; as far as the 
case goes we form a favourable opinion of that 



160 THE CHARACTER AND REWARD 

person's wisdom. But suppose the case be ex- 
actly the reverse. Suppose this man should 
prefer rags to robes, pebbles to jewels, the sha- 
dow to the substance, and counterfeit to genu- 
ine bank bills, would you pronounce him wise ? 
I think not. And suppose, when this person 
is remonstrated with, in regard to the folly of 
his choice, he should continue, perseveringly to 
make the same foolish choice, would you not 
be strongly tempted to pronounce him a fool? 
Now why should not the principle hold, just as 
well in spiritual as in temporal things ? I think 
it does. And now what do sinners choose ? 
They make many a foolish choice ; I will state 
a few by w T ay of specimen. 

First — The sinner prefers the favour of man 
to the favour of God. That he does so is mani- 
fest, because, whilst he is tremblingly alive to 
his character, as it stands in the eyes of his fel- 
low creatures, he usually cares very little how 
his character stands in the eyes of his Maker. 
It is w r ell known that the sinner will go to 
much greater lengths to please man than to 
please God. Nay, he will frequently do what 
he knows full well is displeasing to God, and 
that for the express purpose of securing the 
favour of a fellow creature ! Now, what does 
this prove? Most assuredly, that he sets a 
greater value upon the favour of man than 
upon the favour of God. And now, which is 
worth the most ? With regard to the favour of 



OF THE EARTHLY MINDED. 16 



man, if of the right kind, certainly it is of 
some value ; and I am free to say with the poet, 
"Poor is the friendless master of a world!'' 
But after all, it is well known that the favour 
of man is oftentimes deceitful. O how fre- 
quently do we find that they of whose favour 
and friendship we thought ourselves perfectly 
sure, strangely cool off! We cannot imagine 
wmat has wrought the change, but with regard 
to the fact, that they are no longer our friends, 
that is but too clear ; and, in the moment of 
excitement, we are ready to say, in the lan- 
guage of Scripture, " Cursed is the man that 
putteth his trust in man." But suppose this 
friend is a fast and faithful friend, we may be 
in a thousand different circumstances in which 
his friendship could avail us nothing. We 
may be laid upon a bed of sickness and lan- 
guishing, and he know nothing at all about 
the matter. He may be far distant ; mountains 
may tower, or oceans roll between us ; or, say 
he is near at hand, standing at our side, and 
witnessing our distress, his tears may trickle 
down his cheeks, and all the tenderest sym- 
pathies of his heart may be excited ; nay, he 
may even be willing to share our sorrows with 
us, but in spite of all his flowing tears, and 
the tender sympathies of his affectionate heart, 
we suffer, we agonize, we die, and there is 
only a new display of the impotency of human 
friendship. Such is the favour of man, fre- 



162 THE CHARACTER AND REWARD 

quently fickle, and not to be relied upon; and 
even when of the best stamp, oftentimes of no 
substantial value ; and yet, the sinner prefers 
the favour of man — to what? Angels in hea- 
ven, would ye believe it ?• — the sinner prefers 
the favour of man to the favour of God ! I 
have told you w r hat the favour of man is 
worth ; and now, what is the value of the fa- 
vour of God ? O ye children of the heavenly 
king! ye precious sons and daughters of Zion, 
what do you say? I am sure the language of 
the Psalmist is your language, "Thy favour, 

0 God, is life ; thy loving kindness is better 
than life." Yes, if I should pour down at 
your feet all the silver and the gold in the 
world, and offer that in exchange for the fa- 
vour of God, would you take it? Would you 
not rather be ready to say, " Go and offer a 
monarch a bubble for his crown, and if he ac- 
cepts, yet will not I." The favour of God! 
Go and ask that young convert, who, for the 
first time in his life, has tasted that the Lord is 
good and gracious — that young convert whose 
countenance is dressed in smiles, and whose 
heart is^now filled with a peace and joy un- 
known before — ask that young convert what 
he thinks of the favour of God. " 0 !" says he, 
"I never knew what real happiness was until 

1 had a sweet sense of God's forgiving love. 
Truly his favour is life, and his loving kind- 
ness better than life." The favour of God ! 



OF THE EARTHLY MINDED. 163 

Go and ask that dying Christian, just on the 
wing for glory — that dying Christian, just ut- 
tering those beautiful lines of "Watts, 

" Jesus can make a dying bed, 

Feel sofl as downy pillows are" — 

Go and ask that dying Christian what he 
thinks of the favour of God. " The favour of 
God !" he replies, " O it is every thing now to 
me. It is that which gives me now more com- 
fort than tongue can express ; it is that which 
softens my dying bed, and strews it all over 
with the roses of paradise ! it is that which 
brightens the dark scenery of the grave, and 
now raises me quite above the fear of death. 
O it is infinitely more valuable to me now 
than ten thousand, thousand worlds !" The 
favour of God! Go through yonder pearly 
gates, and ask those bright and happy spirits 
who, robed and crowned, and now circling the 
throne, rejoicing in heaven. Go and ask them 
what the favour of God is worth to them. 
Methinks, with one voice, they would say : 
" It is the favour of God which makes us 
happy here. It is the favour of God which 
rolls a tide of rapture all over this eternal 
world of joy. It is the favour of God which 
makes heaven — heaven indeed to our souls !" 
Yes, my brethren, believe me, if the favour of 
God were withdrawn, angels themselves would 
be sad; the spirits of the just would be wrapt 



164 THE CHARACTER AND REWARD 

in gloom, and the dwellings of the blessed 
would cease to charm. The favour of God ! 
O ! it is every thing which men on earth, or 
angels in heaven can desire ; and yet, the sin- 
ner in his wisdom prefers the favour of man 
to the favour of God ! That is he prefers the 
rags to the robes, the pebbles to the jewels ! 
and the shadow to the substance ! Is the sin- 
ner a wise man ? Judge ye ! 

The second foolish choice which the sinner 
makes is this : — He prefers the interests of the 
body to the interests of the soul. That he 
does this is evident, because with him the body 
is the favourite. It is fed, it is clothed, it is ten- 
derly cherished; and when sick, O then no 
pains, no expense is spared to restore it to 
health : but the soul, alas ! with the sinner it 
is like a poor motherless child, sadly neglected. 
It may be sick, nigh unto death, even the bitter 
pangs of the second and everlasting death, and 
yet it excites no interest ! no provision is made 
for its comfort, nor even for its safety! Yes, 
whilst the sinner is so careful of his body, he real- 
ly treats his soul as if it were a thing of no value. 
Now, let us compare one with the other — what 
is the body, and what is the soul? What is the 
body? It is of the earth earthy. What is the 
soul ? The breath of the Almighty ! What is 
the body ? It is allied to the beasts that perish. 
What is the soul ? Allied to Him that liveth for 
ever and ever. Whilst the body is confined to 



OF THE EARTHLY MINDED. 165 

a small spot of earth, the soul ranges through 
the vast fields of creation — examines the beauty 
of the various parts — the amazing grandeur of 
the mighty whole. Rising above all worlds, 
the soul of man approaches the throne of Him, 
whom the heaven, and the heaven of heavens 
cannot contain ; contemplates his eternal power 
and Godhead, and all the high, and all the lofty 
things which belong to the Divine nature, 
Standing, as it were, by the throne of the great 
Creator, it looks back to the period when as yet 
no sun had lighted up the heavens ; not a star 
had as yet glittered upon "the mantle of unes- 
sential night." Spreading its airy wings, it 
shoots forward into futurity, and, outstripping 
the roll of ten thousand, thousand ages, it there 
hovers over the vast, the boundless ocean of eter- 
nity ; then climbing the immortal heights of the 
New Jerusalem, it revels in all the joys of the 
paradise of God, or, cast down to fiery deeps, 
and endless night, it converses with groans un- 
pitied, unrespited, ages of hopeless end! The 
body and the soul compared together! O, tell 
me, what is the body? "Fragile, frail as vege- 
tation's tender leaf, or, as the passing meteor, 
brief! When long this miserable frame shall 
have vanished from life's busy scene, that sun 
shall flame, those orbs shall roll, as though this 
dust had never been!" What is the soul? 
"Immortal mind! by grovelling matter un- 
confmed ! the same when states and empires 
15 



166 THE CHARACTER AND REWARD 

change ! When suns have waned, and worlds 
sublime their final revolutions told — the soul 
shall flourish over time as though such orbs 
had never rolled !" And yet, the sinner prefers 
the interests of the body to the interests of the 
soul. Is the sinner a wise man? Is he not a 
fool? I do not say that he is; I lay the argu- 
ment before you — you have an understanding 
as well as the speaker — judge ye. 

The third foolish choice of the sinner is this : 
He prefers temporal pleasure to eternal happi- 
ness ; and in so doing verily he prefers the 
rags to the robes ; the pebbles to the jewels, 
and the shadow to the substance; But that 
the sinner does make the choice which we 
affirm, can be known and read of all men, for 
his incessant cry is, "Who will show me any 
good?' And, although the objects of pursuit 
are exceedingly diversified, they are all of an 
earthly stamp. Some seek enjoyment in the 
riches of the world, some in the honours of 
the world, and some in the pleasures of the 
world. But now, tell me, my hearers, when 
did these things ever yet make man or wo- 
man happy ? If riches could make one happy, 
I suppose that Haman ought to have been 
a very happy man ; for he was so rich that 
he could offer king Ahasuerus no less than 
a thousand talents for the destruction of the 
Jews. But was Haman happy ? You recol- 
lect that on a certain occasion, he called to- 



OF THE EARTHLY MINDED. 167 

gether his friends, and Zeresh, his wife, and 
told them of all the glory of his riches, and 
then added, " All these things avail rne nothing 
so long as I see Mordecai, the Jew, seated at the 
king's gate !" Here was a worm at the root of 
his happiness. If military honours could make 
one happy, I should suppose that Alexander 
the Great might have been a happy man ; but 
he was not, for we are told he wept because he 
had not another world to conquer. If sensual 
gratifications could make one happy, I should 
think that Colonel Gardiner might certainly 
have been a happy man; for he was emphatically 
a man of pleasure, and was even called "The 
happy rake !" But was he happy ! O no, for 
he himself, after his conversion, testifies, that 
once when he was in the very midst of all the 
pleasurable indulgences of the world, a dog 
happening to come into the room, he actually 
sighed, and said to himself, " O that I were 
that dog !" Ah ! my brethren, believe me, " the 
world can never give the bliss for which we 
sigh." And, in truth, we can no more expect 
to find perfect happiness in the world and the 
things thereof, than we may expect to find, 

" Mellow grapes beneath the icj pole ! 
Blooming roses on the cheek of death ; or 
Substance in a world of unsubstantial shades." 

Solomon made a full experiment of the matter, 
for there was, it seems, no source of earthly en- 



168 THE CHARACTER AND REWARD 

joyment to which he had not repaired in his pur- 
suit after happiness ; and yet in the winding up, 
he was constrained to say, " Vanity of vanities, 
all is vanity !" — Yes, my brethren, it is even so- 
In the possession of riches, in the possession of 
honours, in the possession of all the world calls 
good or great, "the heart distrustful asks if this 
be joy?" But now, suppose some man of the 
world, in this assembly, should rise up and 
say, " Sir, you are mistaken, I am no Chris- 
tian ; I am a w T orldling, as you term it, and I 
am happy — perfectly happy. The angel Ga- 
briel is not happier than I am." No man, I 
presume, can make such a remark ; but if a 
single one of the human race now upon earth 
should be able to make such a remark, might 
we not reply : Be it so ; but, sir, how long is 
this happiness going to last? "The ground of 
a certain rich man," says the Saviour, " brought 
forth plentifully, and he thought within him- 
self, saying, What shall I do, because I have no 
room where to bestow T my fruits? and he said, 
This will I do : I will pull down my barns, and 
build greater ; and there will I bestow all my 
fruits and my goods ; and I will say to my soul, 
Soul, thou hast much goods laid up in store for 
many years — take thine ease ; eat, drink, and 
be merry! but God said unto him, Thou fool, 
this night shall thy soul be required of thee." 

You see then, my dear brethren, how the 
matter stands. No unconverted sinner can at 



OF THE EARTHLY MINDED. 1.69 

any given period say, I am now happy, perfect- 
ly happy? No, no! this happiness is always 
in prospect. Sometimes it may appear jnst at 
hand, but some how or other it eludes the 
grasp ; and even if the particular object desired 
be attained, how certain is there to be some dis- 
appointment about the matter; and if no disap- 
pointment, there is, as we have shown, no cer- 
tainty of a single day's continuance. How 
often do laurels whither whilst yet upon the 
brow ! and how often do bubbles burst while 
we are looking on ! At the very time that Ne- 
buchadnezzar considered himself in the pleni- 
tude of earthly glory — at the very time that 
he was walking in the palace of the kingdom 
of Babylon, surveying the magnificence of 
his capital, and saying in the pride of his 
heart, "Is not this great Babylon that I have 
built, for the house of the kingdom, by the 
might of my power, and for the honour of my 
majesty." Mark! " while the words were in 
the king's mouth, there fell a voice from hea- 
ven unto him, saying, O king Nebuchadnez- 
zar, to thee it is spoken ; the kingdom is de- 
parted from thee." And so passes away all 
earthly joy. Such is the true character of 
all temporal pleasure, unsatisfying at the best, 
and transitory at that. O ! how can one who 
has an immortal soul, and bound for eternity ; 
content himself with a thing so unsubstantial 
and so evanescent ? And yet the sinner values 
15* 



170 THE CHARACTER AND REWARD 

it highly; yea, prefers temporal pleasure, such 
as it is, to eternal happiness. Eternal hap- 
piness! what is it? Were I a glorified spirit, 
I would know it ; were I an adoring seraph, I 
would feel it — but were I a glorified spirit or 
an adoring seraph, I could never, no never de- 
scribe it: for, according to the apostle, "Eye 
hath not seen, ear hath not heard, nor hath it 
entered into the heart of man, what things God 
hath prepared for them that love him." Eter- 
nal happiness ! "Beloved," says the apostle, 
" now are we the sons of God, and it doth not 
yet appear what we shall be, but we know that 
when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for 
we shall see him as he is." O ! think of the 
beatific vision of God and the Lamb; think 
of the sweet society of saints and angels ; think 
of the perpetual exercise of all heavenly affec- 
tions, the everlasting contemplation of all glo- 
rious objects! O think! — no sin, no sorrow 
there ! but joy, pure joy, seraphic joy, and joy 
for ever ! O think of the soul of the Christian 
falling asleep in Jesus ; waked up from the bed 
of death by the music of the skies, and caught 
up to heaven on angel's wings, it comes into 
the presence of a smiling God — finds itself with- 
in the precincts of eternal day ! Glory above, 
and glory beneath, and glory around, and glory 
within ! The whole soul swimming as it were 
in the pure element of celestial joy. O think 
of being in heaven with the blessed Jesus and 



OF THE EARTHLY MINDED. 171 



his holy angels, and the spirits of the just made 
perfect, a thousand years ! The bare thought 
of it is enough to make the heart of the believ- 
er, even on earth, to leap for joy. Only think 
of being in heaven amid all its glories and its 
joys a thousand years ! And when that thou- 
sand years shall have passed away, then ano- 
ther thousand years ! and then another ! and 
yet another ! Bless the Lord ! 

" When we've been there ten thousand years, 

Bright shining as the sun ; 
We've no less days to sing God's praise 

Than when we first begun." 

What did I say ? — Ten thousand years ! Let 
every leaf of the forest stand for ten thousand 
years of celestial joy ; let every dew drop of 
the morning stand for ten thousand years of 
celestial joy ; let every star in yonder firma- 
ment stand for ten thousand years of celestial 
joy ; add all these together, and even when all 
these ages heaped on ages shall have passed 
away, we shall have no less days to sing God's 
praise than when we first begun. O ! who can 
measure the millionth part of the height and 
depth, and length and breadth, of this ocean 
of eternal happiness — eternal joy ! and yet, 
the sinner prefers temporal pleasure, chaffy and 
transitory as it is, to the whole of it. Only 
think ! he prefers temporal pleasure to eternal 
happiness ! that is, he prefers the rags to the 



172 THE CHARACTER AND REWARD 

robes, the pebbles to the jewels, the shadow to 
the substance ! Is the sinner a wise man? 
Men of intellect, judge ye. 

But if the folly of the sinner appears in the 
choice which he makes, it will appear with 
equal clearness 

II. In the conduct which he pursues. The 
sinner, who, taken up with the things of time 
and sense, puts away from him the higher 
claims of God, and his undying soul, does 
many very foolish things, for example : 

First. — He rebels against God his Maker, 
refusing to submit to his authority, and prac- 
tically saying by his conduct, Who is the 
Lord that I should obey him ! I know not the 
Lord, neither will I obey his voice. This is 
impious, and most foolish too. The sinner re- 
bels against God his Maker, and what harm 
has God his Maker done him? Was it any 
harm in God to love the world, and give his 
Son to die for its redemption? Was it any 
harm in God to institute the ministry of recon- 
ciliation, and send one servant after another to 
persuade the sinner to ground the weapons of 
his rebellion, that it might be well with him in 
the latter end ? Was it any harm in God to 
send his Holy Spirit to move upon his heart to 
draw him to the foot of the cross, from which 
spot alone he can ascend to Glory? Or, was it 
any harm in God. to shower down blessings 
upon the sinner without number, and keep 



OF THE EARTHLY MINDED. 173 



him alive, when he was not prepared to die ? 
and yet the sinner rebels against . him. O ! 
what ingratitude and what folly ! and is there 
not also madness in this folly? "Who is the 
sinner, and who is God, that the sinner should 
rebel against his Maker ? The sinner ! who is 
he ? Is he not an atom of an atom world ? 
and God ! who is he ? Is he not that great and 
glorious Being, "who fills with his presence all 
immensity! Who is the sinner? Is he not a 
worm of the dust, and crushed before the 
moth? and who is God? Is he not that great 
omnipotent Being, " who can create and can 
destroy," — who " can dash whole worlds to 
death and make them when he please ?" O ! 
think, the sinner is daily and hourly dependent 
upon God for every mercy, and even for eve- 
ry breath. Yes, it is in God that the sinner 
" lives and moves, and has his being;" and 
this God can, in a moment, raise him to hea- 
ven, and make him an angel of light, or, in a 
moment, cast him down to hell, and make him 
a spirit for ever damned. Now, these' things 
being so, the smallest particle of common sense 
one would think sufficient to show that the 
first and most important thing is to secure the 
favour of God, for if God be for us who can be 
against us ? and if God be against us who can 
be for us ? Now, although this principle is 
just as clear as the sun in the heavens, or, as 
clear as any thing can be, yet the sinner rebels 



174 THE CHARACTER AND REWARD 



against his Maker ; and what is more, con- 
tinues in this rebellion ; yes, obstinately con- 
tinues in this rebellion, not for days and weeks 
only, but for many months — many years ! and 
that too when this all-powerful and gracious 
God, by his word, his providence, and his 
Spirit, is kindly following him, saying, " Turn 
ye, turn ye, for why will ye die T and whilst, 
also, the remarkable words of the apostle are 
yet sounding in his ears : " Now then, we are 
ambassadors of Christ, as though God did be- 
seech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, 
be ye reconciled unto God." In spite of all, 
the sinner rebels against his Maker. Is the 
sinner a wise man ? O no ! his conduct, in this 
matter, is certainly most foolish and unwise ; 
and this is not the only example, for 

Second.— The sinner is going to an eternal 
world, and makes no preparation for that eter- 
nal world. If a person knew that he must go 
to Oregon, or some other distant country, and 
there spend the remnant of his life on earth, 
would it not be right and proper for him to 
think upon the matter, and make some prepa- 
ration ; especially if, every now and then, he 
saw a neighbour starting for that country, and 
knew not but he might have himself to set out 
the very next day ? But suppose, in these cir- 
cumstances, he should take no interest in the 
matter, make no inquiries about the soil there, 
nor the society there, and make no provision 



OF THE EARTHLY MINDED. 175 

for his well-being and comfort there, would not 
this be very strange ? But the sinner is going 
to that world from whose bourne no traveller 
returns, and he makes no preparation whatever. 
And, observe : it is quite possible for a person 
to go to Oregon, or any distant country on 
earth, and even when no preparation had been 
made, find himself very comfortably fixed 
when arrived there ; but he who enters the 
eternal world without preparation, must be 
miserable for ever ! and yet the sinner makes 
no preparation. O, what an awful infatuation, 
this is ! A certain nobleman, as the story 
goes, had a rude wit in his employ, called a 
fool. Amused with a remark of his one day, 
the nobleman gave him his walking cane, with 
this injunction : — Take this walking-cane, and 
keep it until you meet with a greater fool than 
yourself, and then give it to him." The man 
kept the walking-cane for a length of time, 
not meeting with any one whom he deemed a 
greater fool than himself. In process of time, 
however, his lordship was laid upon a dying 
bed, and sending for the rude wit, addressed 
him thus : — " Farewell !" "Where is your lord- 
ship going?" said the man. "I am going to 
my long home," replied the nobleman. "Your 
long home!" rejoined the man — "Your long 
home ! How long is your lordship going to 
stay there?" — " O," said the dying nobleman. 
"I am never to return!" — "Never to return!' 



176 THE CHARACTER AND REWARD 



exclaimed the man, " never to return !" — " No," 
said the nobleman* "I am going to eternity, 
and am never to return." — "Has your lordship 
made any preparation for that long home V 
"No," said he, "I have not."— " Then," re- 
plied the man, "your lordship will please to 
take the walking cane ! you are certainly a 
greater fool than I am ; — please to take the 
walking-cane " If this be deemed a quaint 
illustration, sure I am it is forcible, and much 
to the point. Only think! the sinner is 
going to an eternal world ! In that eternal 
world there is a heaven of unspeakable and 
everlasting happiness for those who have made 
preparation for it ; and for those who have 
made no preparation, there is a world of woe, 
an awful hell, which must be his dwelling-place 
to all eternity. And yet the sinner makes no 
preparation ! Regardless of his eternal inte- 
rests, he is trifling with his undying soul. Is 
this acting the part of a wise man? Is it not 
rather acting the part of a madman and a fool ? 
O ye, who, carried away by the things of this 
world, forget that you have undying souls — 
that you must soon be in eternity — and must 
soon be in heaven or in hell ! O think about 
your need of preparation, before the season for 
it be over and gone for ever. But 

A third exhibition of the sinner's folly is this : 
He is condemned; a pardon is freely offered by 
the Lord, and he rejects the offered pardon. 



OF THE EARTHLY MINDED. 177 

Now, this crowns the climax of the sinner's 
folly, and beyond this, I see not how madness 
and folly can go another step ! Were yon, my 
brethren, ever in a court house ? Did you see 
a man there arraigned on a charge of murder I 
The judge seated, the jury empannelled, the 
witnesses giving in their testimony? Were 
you present when the jury brought in the ver- 
dict, guilty ? Were you present when the judge 
pronounced the sentence of death ? O what a 
moment that was ! What breathless silence ! 
What painful sympathy ! How was every eye 
fixed upon the unhappy criminal, upon whom 
the dreadful sentence of the law had been pro- 
nounced ! You expected, no doubt, to see him 
tremble and turn pale. Suppose he cared no- 
thing about the matter — and suppose his coun- 
sel should have come to him, and said, "O, my 
dear client, you are condemned, and I must 
confess, righteously condemned ; but I can't 
bear the idea of the sentence of the law being 
inflicted upon you ! — I will obtain a reprieve 
for you, if I can ; I will get up a petition ; I 
will go to the governor ; I will leave no stone 
unturned to obtain a pardon for you." Sup- 
pose, I say, in such circumstances, the prisoner 
at the bar, condemned, should turn upon his 
heel and reject the kind offer — would not the 
judge, the jury, the spectators- — would not all 
pronounce him a fool ? Only think : the man 
is condemned to die, and one offers to obtain a 
16 



178 THE CHARACTER AND REWARD 



pardon for him, and he rejects the kind offer. 
Surely the man is not in his right mind. Now. 
this a true picture of the sinner — every fea- 
ture exact. Is not the sinner found guilty ? Is 
he not condemned ? Yes, for the Bible says, 
expressly, "He that believeth not is condemned 
already ;" t aye, and according to John the Bap- 
tist, "the wrath of God abideth upon him" — 
hangs over his head, like the stormy cloud, 
ready to burst at any moment ; or, like the axe 
of the executioner, liable to fall without a mo- 
ment's warning. Now, in these fearful cir- 
cumstances, the blessed Saviour, the sinner's 
friend and advocate, comes to him with tender- 
ness and compassion, and says, "O poor sinner, 
art thou condemned ? Yes, righteously ; but. 
sinner, I bring you good news ! I am come all 
the way from heaven to earth to seek and to 
save that which was lost I I have made the 
great atoning sacrifice, and now, here is a free 
and full pardon offered to you, through faith in 
my blood !" Take it, sinner, and your sins 
shall all be blotted out ! Take it, sinner, and 
you shall have peace with the God that made 
you ! Take it, sinner, and you shall die in 
peace, and in the world to come, heaven shall 
be your final home ! — O take it, sinner, your 
loving, dying Saviour bids you take it. It cost 
him much ; even tears, and groans, and stream- 
ing blood, and the painful death of the cross : 
but, to you, it is offered " without money and 



OF THE EARTHLY MINDED. 



179 



without price !" And now, what does the sinner 
do ? Clinging to his lusts, he rejects the offered 
pardon! He does more than this — he grasps, 
as it were, the soldier's spear, and thrusts it 
into the Saviour's side ! He treads under foot 
the blood of the Son of God! "Father, for- 
give them, they know not what they do!" Ah! 
my brethren, whether we consider the sinner's 
choice, or sinner's conduct, we see that folly, 
consummate folly, is stamped upon the whole. 
And now, what is to be the end of these things ? 
What says our text? " Shame shall be the pro- 
motion of fools." O what a poor reward this 
is : and yet it is all that such folly deserves. As 
he that sows to the wind can reap nothing bet- 
ter than the whirlwind, so " shame shall be the 
promotion of fools." There is, if I mistake not, 
irony as well as truth in the language of our 
text — "shame shall be the promotion of fools." 
The idea is this : Pluming themselves upon 
their own supposed wisdom, and lightly esteem- 
ing the truly pious, they entertain high expecta- 
tions, and promise themselves great things ; but 
shame, everlasting shame only, must be the 
result of all the towering and vain expecta- 
tions with which impenitent sinners here are 
pleased to deceive themselves. Shame, we 
have reason to believe, will constitute one very 
bitter ingredient in the torment of the damned 
in hell. Daniel has reference to this matter : 
"Many that sleep in the dust of the earth," 



180 THE CHARACTER AND REWARD 

says he, " shall awake; some to everlasting 
life, and some to shame and everlasting con- 
tempt." 

This shame will arise from several sources: — 

1. From disappointment. Should a soldier 
be cashiered for cowardice, when he expected 
promotion for his supposed bravery ? Should an 
author be cried down when he expected great 
applause ? or, should a person find that no men- 
tion is made of him in a will, when he expected 
to be one of the principal heirs ; in all such 
cases, disappointment would be a matter of 
shame. How much more when the sinner 
wakes up in eternity, and finds all his fond 
hopes of heaven blasted for ever! But shame 
will arise, 

2. From the full development of character 
which shall then be made. I suppose that the 
most moral person in this assembly w^ould not 
have things that he has thought, and said, and 
done, to be revealed, even to his own domestic 
circle, for any consideration ; and if this dis- 
closure were made, he would be overwhelmed 
with shame. What, then, will be the amount 
of that shame which shall come upon the sin- 
ner when every thing which he has ever 
thought, and said, and done, shall be revealed, 
in the presence of God, and angels, and men, 
in the great judgment day ? 

Some years since, a certain man in one of 
our Atlantic cities, was charged with a very 



OF THE EARTHLY MINDED. 181 

base act — was charged with opening a letter 
which had been put into the post office, and 
divulging some family secrets which that letter 
contained. He denied the charge. A committee 
was appointed to investigate the charge, and 
make a report. I was present when the report 
was made. In the presence of some one or two 
hundred citizens, the chairman of the commit- 
tee came forward and said — "We have investi- 
gated the charge alleged against the gentle- 
man, and find it to be true." I saw the man 
the moment his character was thus blasted for 
ever. After one frantic effort with a pistol to 
take the life of the person who had thus ex- 
posed him, he dropped his head ; he could not 
bear to look upon man or woman any more ; 
and, returning to his lodgings, he laid himself 
down upon his bed, and died of a broken heart. 
Shame killed him. And now, if the divulging 
of one base act in such an assembly on earth 
occasioned him such overwhelming, -heart- 
breaking shame, O ! what intolerable shame 
must come upon the sinner when every base 
act, when every impure thought, when every 
unlawful deed shall be revealed, as we have 
said, before God, and angels, and men ! Me- 
thinks, in anguish, he will exclaim — " O that I 
had never had a being!" or, "O that I could 
now hide me beneath the mountain's base or 
the ocean's wave !•' " Shame shall be the pro- 
motion of fools!" 
16* 



/ 



182 THE CHARACTER AND REWARD 

3. A third source of shame will be the mani- 
festation of the sinner's folly. If a person has 
acted very foolishly, even in common matters, he 
does not like it to be generally known and 
talked about ; but his consummate folly in re- 
lation to spiritual matters must be known and 
read of all men — aye, and it will be seen and felt 
by himself, in a manner never seen and felt be- 
fore. That this matter may be presented more 
clearly, suppose that this were the judgment 
day — trump sounding, dead rising, God de- 
scending, angels shouting, devils wailing, earth 
burning ! Suppose all the solemnities and ter- 
rors of the judgment day now before us ! The 
sinner, now stationed upon the left hand, finds 
himself lost for ever. He looks back upon the 
scenes of this world, and he remembers — (0, 
he would forget every thing if he could, but 
he cannot — " Son, remember !" says Abraham 
to the rich man in hell) — yes, whether the 
sinner choose it or not, he must look back upon 
the scenes of this world — whether he choose 
it or not, he will remember— what ? Why, the 
choice which he made, and the conduct which 
he pursued on earth. For example, he will 
remember that when on earth he preferred the 
favour of man to the favour of God ! Now he 
sees this great God in all his grandeur and his 
glory ; by his almighty arm bearing up heaven, 
earth, and hell; smiling upon the righteous 
and frowning upon the wicked ; crowning with 



OF THE EARTHLY MINDED, 183 



bliss and glory the one, and pouring wrath and 
ruin upon the other. And O ! to think that 
when on earth he preferred the favour of that 
man, that rotted in the grave, or is now, per- 
haps, damned at his side, to the favour of this 
great and glorious God ; O, how will the sinner 
be sensible of his folly then ! How will he cry 
out, in the anguish of his soul, — u O, my folly, 
my madness, when on earth ! Of a truth, I 
preferred the rags to the robes, the pebbles to 
the jewels, the shadow to the substance. I 
never knew, O ! I never knew that I was such a 
fool before !" And he will remember — what ? 
Why, that when on earth he preferred the in- 
terests of the body to the interests of the soul. 
By that time he will have seen the body turned 
over to corruption and the worm, and now he 
sees the soul in all its capacity for happiness 
and misery; — he sees the souls of the righteous 
robed and crowned, rising, and shining, and 
corruscating in glory unspeakable ; and sees 
the souls of the wicked shrouded in darkness 
and despair, given over to remorse and anguish 
which no tongue can tell ! When these things 
are before his eyes, what must be his feelings 
to remember, that when on earth he preferred 
the interests of that poor dying body that had 
to lie down in the grave, to that soul so mighty 
to sustain an exceeding great and eternal 
weight of glory, or an exceeding great and 
eternal weight of sorrow ? In this view oY the 



184 THE CHARACTER AND REWARD 



grandeur and capacity of the soul for happiness 
and misery, will he not cry out — "O, fool! O, 
madman that I was in yonder world ! to think 
more of my body than of my soul ! to prefer 
the little interests of the one to the mighty in- 
terests of the other ! Of a truth, I preferred 
the rags to the robes — the pebbles to the jew T - 
els — the shadow to the substance. I never, O, 
I never knew that I was such a fool before !" 
And, there is heaven, too ! what a world of 
glory and of joy? O, heaven, sweet heaven, 
to me lost for ever! And why? Because on 
earth I bartered it away for the poor, chaffy, 
short-lived pleasures of time and sense ! Where 
was reason then ? and whither had my under- 
standing fled ? Why was I so infatuated with 
the world? O why did I prefer earth to heaven? 
Why did I prefer temporal pleasure to eternal 
happiness? — O, my folly! my unspeakable folly! 
Yes, it is true, it is but too true, I was a fool in 
yonder world. I preferred the rags to the robes, 
— the pebbles to the jewels — the shadow to 
the- substance ! And only to think ! I rebelled 
against that great and glorious God, and al- 
though frequently warned, I made no prepara- 
tion for this awful eternity ; and, to crown my 
madness and my folly, although entreated, I 
refused offered pardon. Ah ! yes — 

{: Yonder sits the slighted Saviour, 
With the marks of dying love." 



OF THE EARTHLY MINDED. 185 



O that I had sought his favour, 
When I felt his Spirit move : 

Golden moments ! 
When I felt his Spirit move !" 

4. The fourth and last source of shame which 
I shall mention is, the company with which 
the sinner shall be obliged to associate — not 
with the virtuous and the good, but with 
the infamous and the vile. — Only think ! with 
murderers, and robbers, and thieves, and 
drunkards, and liars, and pirates, and gam- 
blers, and hypocrites and extortioners, and all 
the mean, and all the vile, and all the abomi- 
nable that ever lived and ever died ! — and to 
crown the whole, he must have his portion 
with devils damned, and all the foul spirits of 
the pit ! O ! to be grouped with such charac- 
ters ! to have no better society than this to all 
eternity ! how overwhelming the thought ! and 
how overwhelming the shame ! Cut off from 
the sweet society of the heavenly world, sin- 
ners must be linked with the off-scouring of all 
creation ; and, verily, then shall be brought 
to pass the prediction of the Saviour, "There 
shall be weeping and wailing, and gnashing of 
teeth," when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, 
and Jacob, and all the prophets in the king- 
dom of God, and you yourselves cast out ! O ! 
my soul! there must be mourning — mourning, 
at the judgment-seat of Christ. Parents and 



186 THE CHARACTER AND REWARD 

children there must part ; must part to meet 
no more. Husbands and wives there must 
part ; must part to meet no more. Brothers 
and sisters, companions and friends, there must 
part ; must part to meet no more. O ! who can 
bear the idea of being excluded from the dwell- 
ings of the blessed, cut off from the society of 
those wdiom we loved on earth, and cast down 
to hell, there to associate with murderers of 
fathers, and murderers of mothers, with rob- 
bers, and liars, and thieves, and swindlers, and 
pirates, and drunkards ; and, as we said, with 
all the mean, and all the vile, and all the 
abominable ! and how will it add to the sin- 
ner's anguish to think that by his continuance 
in sin he had made himself unfit for a better 
society, and a better place ! and how will con- 
science too, torment the sinner's soul, thun- 
dering in his ear the charge which he cannot 
. deny — "Ye knew your duty and did it not." 
O yes, the sinner will be constrained to say, 
"I knew what was right, yet did vdiat was 
wrong. O my folly, my madness on earth ! 
and now I wake up to the full conviction of 
my folly and my madness, when it can avail 
me nothing. O ! it is too late now. The har- 
vest is past, and the summer is ended, and my 
poor soul is not saved. O ! that I could return 
to the earth once more. O ! that I could live 
my life over again. O ! that I had one hour 



OF THE EARTHLY MINDED. 187 

more to seek salvation in ; and if this cannot 
be, O ! that I had never been born, or O ! that 
I had slumbered for ever in my grave !" : 

My dear unconverted friends, think, O think 
upon these things. A want of thought has 
ruined many — let it not ruin you. O ! come 
now, and let the subject matter of our discourse 
bear upon your own case. What is the choice 
which you have made? and what is the course 
of conduct which you have pursued ? Have 
you chosen the favour of man in preference to 
the favour of God ? and is not this a foolish 
choice? Then make this choice no more. 
From this moment seek the favour of God, as 
the object of chief desire. Have you not set a 
greater value upon the interests of the body 
than upon the interests of the soul? and have 
you not chosen temporal pleasure in preference 
to eternal happiness ? O ! be persuaded to do 
this no more, lest your precious souls be cut 
off from heaven, and you have none to blame 
but yourselves. Have you rebelled against 
your Maker ? was this right ? Have you ne- 
glected to make preparation for another and 
eternal world ? would you approve of this if 
now laid upon a dying bed ? — and have you 
rejected offered pardon ? O ! think what that 
pardon will be worth in that day which shall 
disclose "a God in grandeur, and a world on 
fire." Come, my impenitent friends, O listen 
to my voice — O attend to my counsel ; or ra- 



188 



THE DELUGE. 



ther, listen to the voice, and attend to the 
counsel of Him, who is your Maker, and who 
will soon sit in judgment upon your souls. 
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, " Consider your 
ways : Seek ye the Lord while he may be 
found : " Call ye upon him while he is near. 
Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the un- 
righteous man his thoughts ; let him return 
unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon 
him, and to our God, for he will abundantly 
pardon." 

11 While God invites, how blest the day, 

How sweet the gospel's charming sound ! 
Come sinners haste — O haste away, 
While yet a pardoning God he's found." 



SERMON VII. 

THE DELUGE. 

Gen. vii. 1. — And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou, and all thy 
house, into the ark. 

The five books of Moses were written more 
than three thousand years ago, and are sup- 
posed to be the most ancient records now upon 
earth. They give a view of patriarchal times, 
and carry rip the history of the world to its 
very creation ; indeed, the history opens with 
an account of the wonder working power of 



THE DELUGE. 



189 



God exerted upon " the void immense," bring- 
ing into existence the heavens and the earth, 
with all their rich and varied furniture. When 
the mighty work was done, it was all pro- 
nounced very good. Every thing was beauti- 
ful ; — every thing was perfect. The whole 
presented one unbroken scene of beauty and 
enchantment. It was the morning of creation, 
and most lovely was the morning ! But, alas, 
too soon there was a sad change ; for man, 
originally made in the moral image of his 
Maker, sinned! This withered every thing 
beautiful upon earth ; this 

tl Brought death into the world, and all our wo." 

From the first moment of man's apostacy, the 
blighting influence of sin began to pass over 
the face of this fair creation, and its direful 
effects were seen and felt in various modes and 
forms ; chiefly in the deep depravity of human 
nature, and in certain awful manifestations of 
the divine displeasure against sinning man. 

With regard to human depravity, conse- 
quent upon the fall, it is remarkable, that the 
first man ever born into the world proved a 
murderer, and the second was the person mur- 
dered. This was a sad beginning ; and it 
seemed to portend most terrible and disastrous 
things in time to come. It is true, that at the 
birth of Enos, the grandson of" Adam, there 
was a brightening of the prospect ; " For," says 
17 



190 



THE DELUGE. 



the Historian, " then began men to call upon 
the name of the Lord f but, alas ! it was only 
as the beaming of light in a dark day. It soon 
passed away, and was succeeded by a deeper 
gloom than ever. Yes, for not very long after 
that period, according to the Scriptures, man 
became exceedingly corrupt. Iniquity began 
to abound in a most frightful manner. The 
earth was filled with violence. "And God saw," 
says the historian, "that the wickedness of man 
was great in the earth, and that every imagina- 
tion of the thoughts of his heart, was only evil, 
continually — and the Lord said, I will destroy 
man, whom I have created, from the face of the 
earth ; both man and beast. But," continues 
the historian, " Noah found grace in the eyes 
of the Lord." Here is one faithful Abdiel amid 
legions of apostate spirits — one righteous Noah 
standing alone in his righteousness, in the 
midst of a world lying in wickedness. But, 
although solitary and alone, he was not over- 
looked. " Noah found grace in the eyes of the 
Lord — and the Lord said unto Noah, The end 
of all flesh is come before me ; for the earth is 
filled with violence. — Make thee an ark — and 
behold I, even I, do bring a flood of waters 
upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is 
the breath of life, from under heaven ; and 
every thing that is in the earth shall die. But 
with thee will I establish my covenant ; and 
thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy 



THE DELUGE. 



191 



sons, and thy wife, and thy son's wives with 
thee. - And of every living thing of all flesh, 
two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, 
to keep them alive with thee ; they shall be 
male and female." 

Never, my brethren, was there a more awful 
communication made fromheaven to earth than 
this ; and never, it seems, was any divine com- 
mand more promptly obeyed. "For," says an 
Apostle, "by faith, Noah being warned of God, 
of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, pre- 
pared an ark to the saving of his house." Many 
things might have tempted him to demur. 
The work was great. The ark which he was 
required to construct, was to be three hundred 
cubits in length ; fifty cubits in breadth, and 
thirty in height ; or, according to our measure, 
about five hundred feet long, eighty broad, 
and fifty high — a most gigantic structure. I 
have calculated the tonnage, and find it equal 
to that of some twenty merchant ships of the 
largest class, at the present time. The great- 
.ness of the work then might have caused him 
to hesitate in entering upon it. And another 
thing was this : Noah must have known very 
well, that in entering upon a work of this kind, 
so strange and unprecedented, he would most 
certainly subject himself to derision and con- 
tempt — would become the song of the drunk- 
ard, the butt of ridicule with many, and by all 
would be esteemed as a dreaming enthusiast, 



192 



THE DELUGE. 



a fool, and a madman— but none of these things 
moved him. He had heard the voice of God, 
and faith was triumphant. He staggered at 
nothing. He verily believed that it would be, 
even as God had said; and, therefore, according 
to all that the Lord had commanded him, so 
did he. And now, with zeal and determina- 
tion, he enters upon this work — this strange 
work: — The foundation of the ark is laid; the 
gigantic structure rises ; and, as the work goes 
on, he warns the world of the ungodly, of an 
approaching deluge, and calls upon them to 
repent and turn from their sins ; but his words 
seem to them as idle tales which they believe 
not, and therefore his calls to repentance are 
disregarded- Their curiosity however is ex- 
cited, and gathering round the ark in crowds, 
they affect to wonder what the good man 
means. "He says there is going to be a flood! 
a flood to drown the whole world ! Nonsense ! 
Who ever heard of such a thing? Methuselah, 
that old man who died the other day, lived nine 
hundred and sixty and nine years — he never . 
saw or heard of such a thing! — A flood to 
drown the world ! It is all nonsense ! Where 
can so much water come from ? All perfect 
nonsense ! Poor old man ! Surely he has been 
dreaming, and his head is turned ! Thus, me- 
thinks, the unbelieving multitude derided the 
man of God, and made a mock of the whole 
affair ! The hireling workmen, too, methinks, 



THE DELUGE. 



193 



made themselves merry at Noah's expense — 
especially when, the shades of the evening 
being come, they left their work, and, with 
their boon companions, merry over their cups, 
they would talk about the scenes of the day 
gone by. O what jesting and what merriment 
then ! Methinks they would tell how serious 
and sad the old man looked ; how, ever and 
anon, he would break out in the language of 
warning ; and when he saw that they made 
light of it, how he would burst into tears, and 
weep aloud in the presence of them all ! " Well, 
to be sure, it looks a little droll ; but it is all 
nonsense — -a dream, perhaps — some strange, 
foolish dream ; bat it happens very well for us, 
for the job is a good one, and the dreamer is 
good pay !" My brethren, I do not think that 
I have over-coloured the picture. No doubt 
such remarks were made, and many such trials 
Noah was called upon to endure. But he 
swerved not, but urged on the work, day after 
day, and as the time appointed drew on, me- 
thinks his warnings were yet more frequent 
and more loud. 

And now, the ark is finished : the antedilu- 
vians have filled up the measure of their ini- 
quity : the patience of God is exhausted, and 
the day of vengeance is just at hand ! 

But, as yet, all is calm and serene. There 
is nothing alarming in heaven above, or in the 
earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth, 
17* 



194 



THE DELUGE. 



The shining sun, the azure sky, and the gen- 
tle breeze, present nothing portentous. The 
events now coming, tremendous as they are, 
cast no shadows before them. Every thing is 
going on in the usual way ; the beasts of the 
earth are roaming in the forest ; the birds of 
the air are flying in the heavens, and the fish 
of the sea are sporting in the deep ; still is 
heard the lowing of the oxen ; the bleating of 
the sheep, and the music of the groves. The 
hum of industry too is heard on every hand, 
and the voice of jesting, and the voice of mirth, 
and the shout of the merry-hearted. They are 
buying and they are selling, they are plant- 
ing and they are building, they are marrying 
and they are giving in marriage. I repeat it, 
there is nothing strange or alarming in heaven 
above, in the earthbeneath, or in the waters un- 
der the earth, but every thing going on in the 
usual way. And now, in the very midst of 
this scene of universal and deep security, the 
voice of God is heard ! " And the Lord said unto 
Noah, Come thou, and all thy house, into the 
ark." The command is given, faith is again 
triumphant, and Noah leads his family into 
the ark. Yes, in the view of a wondering 
crowd this one righteous man leaves his dwell- 
ing, and with all his family following, he en- 
ters into the ark ; and now, methinks, mirth 
and merriment are at their height ; jesting and 
ridicule are on every hand. " Well done ! the 



THE DELUGE. 



195 



old dreamer is gone into his ark, sure enough ! 
who ever thought he would carry the matter 
so far 1 Poor old man ! now we know that he 
has been dreaming, and his head is turned, for 
we see no sign of a flood yet ; and if he waits 
there until it comes, he will wait long enough, 
and if he never dies till this mighty deluge 
comes, he will live a little longer than Methu- 
selah, we think !" But in the midst of their 
mirth and jesting, suddenly methinks, their 
faces turn pale. They tremble and exclaim, 
" Merciful God ! what is this ! The fowls of 
heaven are flying to the ark, and birds of every 
wing ! And see, too, the beasts of the earth 
are coming from the forest in every direction ! 
And only look upon the ground, how it is 
covered with creeping insects, and reptiles of 
every kind, all moving toward the ark, as if 
led on by some invisible hand, or some strange 
instinct — ominous of some coming evil. O ! 
what can this be V And now the mockers are 
held in check, and some are almost ready to 
rush to the ark and beg Noah to let them in ; 
but it is too late now, for Noah and his family 
having entered in, and beasts, and birds, and 
creeping things, two of every kind, as the 
Lord commanded — Noah ceases to warn ; the 
door of the ark is closed, and the doom of an 
incorrigible world is sealed for ever ! And now 
there are strange unprecedented sights, and 
voices inspiring terror. God frowns, and all 



196 



THE DELUGE. 



nature trembles at the frown of its Maker. 
The elements begin to jar, the sun is darken- 
ed ; the earth begins to reel and stagger like 
a drunken man ; the waters are troubled, there 
is a rumbling in the deep — flying clouds are 
seen ; they pass swiftly over the face of the 
sky — darker clouds are rising, east, west, north, 
south ; and, who ever saw clouds so frowning 
and so dark ! and what flashes of lightning, 
and what mighty thunderings are these ! And 
now the winds of heaven are let loose ; they 
roar, and sweep tremendously over the earth; 
the rain descends in torrents, the storm rages 
more and more, the fountains of the great deep 
are broken up, and the windows of heaven are 
opened — and floods from beneath, and floods 
from above, mingling their waters, enlarge the 
dominions of the deep. The ark is afloat, and 
the rolling billows dash upon its sides, and 
bear it along in safety and in triumph. The 
storm increases, its violence is most terrific ; 
there is one unbroken sheet of lightning, and 
mighty thunders upon mighty thunder srock 
the globe ; amid jaring and roaring elements, 
heaven and earth seem mingling together, as 
if the last great day were come. The flood 
increases ! old ocean's barriers exist no more ! 
and where are the mockers and the jesters 
now ? None are seen ! for fear, now, is in every 
bosom ; and in every face dismay. The cry 
of agony is heard, it comes from every quar- 



THE DELUGE. 



197 



ter, and the wild shriek of despair mingles 
with the ho wrings of the storm. The terrified 
multitudes, in wild alarm, rush from place to 
place seeking refuge and finding none. O ! 
how children cling to their parents, and wives 
to their husbands, and friend to friend, all cry- 
ing for help, and crying in vain. Some hasten 
to the tops of their houses, but find no refuge 
there ; some plunge into the flood, and swim- 
ming around the ark, beg Noah to take them 
in, but the door of the ark is not opened, and 
they struggle, and sink to rise no more. Some 
rush to the hills, but all in vain, for the high- 
est hills are covered, and they are swept away : 
some climb the trees of the forest, but O ! the 
swelling waters rise higher than the tallest 
trees, and they too are swept away. And now 
see the few that still survive — they are climb- 
ing the sides of the mountains, the flood pur- 
sues them ; they seek safety on the tops of the 
highest clifts ; but O ! the relentless flood ! it 
rises higher and higher still, and now the bil- 
lows pass over the mountain tops, and the last 
remnants of the human race shriek, sink down, 
and are buried in the waters of the mighty 
deep ! - All is still now ! — all, save the dashing o f 
the billows, and the bellowing of the storm ; 
and now nought is seen on any hand but one 
wide boundless ocean, with its mighty billows 
tumbling round the globe. Yes, one thing 
more is seen — the ark! Noah's ark! — yonder it 



198 



THE DELUGE. 



is seen, riding in triumph upon the bosom of 
the troubled deep, amid floating carcasses, and 
the .wreck of a ruined world. 

There are some important remarks which I 
wish to make, bearing upon the subject before 
us. My first remark has reference to the deluge, 
as a matter of fact ; and of this there can be no 
reasonable doubt, for the evidences thereof are 
found, not only in this volume, and in the tra- 
ditions of almost all the nations of antiquity, 
but they are found inscribed upon the very 
face of the earth, even up to the present time. 
Marine shells, in immense banks, are now seen 
in Georgia, and in many other regions, in places 
remote from the ocean ; and some years ago the 
skeleton of a whale was found imbedded in the 
earth near the summit of one of the loftiest 
mountains in Asia. Denying the fact of the 
deluge, how can these things be accounted for? 
In boring the earth, in numerous places, logs 
have been found buried forty, fifty, and even 
sixty feet below the surface. If there have 
been no overflowings and mighty stirring up 
of the waters, how can we account for so much 
sediment, or aljuvial soil ? Moreover, in the 
prairies of the south-west, lone rocks are found 
where no quarry exists ; these rocks are of the 
same nature as those found in the Green Moun- 
tains of Vermont, and, if torn from those moun- 
tains, and rolled so far, how violent and mighty 
must have been the current which detached 



THE DELUGE. 



199 



these rocks from the mountains, and bore them 
with such fury on ! But some have said the 
story of Noah's flood is all nonsense — a perfect 
fable. There could be no such thing. And 
why ? There is not enough water in the atmo- 
sphere and connected with the surface of the 
globe, to submerge it in water. This has not 
been proved ; but suppose it were so, who can 
tell whether there may not be vast reservoirs of 
water in the centre of the earth, which by 
some chemical action, might have been thrown 
upon the surface ? And this idea seems to be 
sanctioned by the Psalmist, when, speaking of 
the creation of the earth, he says — " Thou hast 
founded it upon the seas, and established it 
upon the floods." Moreover, the idea falls in 
most remarkably with these words of Moses : — 
"The fountains of the great deep were broken 
up." But suppose it be ascertained that there 
are no such reservoirs of water in the heart of 
the earth — how easy would it have been for 
Him who originally " stretched the north over 
the empty place, and hung the earth upon 
nothing" — I say, how easy would it have been 
for Him to change the polarity of the globe. 
This done, the natural consequence would be, 
the emptying of the waters of the ocean upon 
the land. This w ould account for all the facts 
which we have stated ; and it is a remarkable 
circumstance, and strongly corroborating this 
position, that the great desert of Sahara appears 



200 



THE DELUGE. 



evidently to have been the ocean's bed. But 
we need say nothing more on this point, for 
within my own recollection, the enemies of the 
Bible have changed their notes, and those who 
were wont to say that Noah's deluge was a 
fable, now admit it to be a fact — certain geolo- 
gical discoveries made within twenty years 
past, having placed the matter beyond all rea- 
sonable doubt. 

The second remark touching the deluge, has 
reference to its cause. And here we are not 
left to conjecture, for the Scriptures are per- 
fectly clear upon this point. And God saw 
that the wickedness of man was great on the 
earth ; and therefore the Lord said unto Noah, 
" The end of all flesh is come before me. Make 
thee an ark, and behold I, even I, do bring a 
flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all 
flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under 
heaven." Observe, my brethren, it was sin 
that occasioned the deluge. What a dreadful 
evil then must sin be ! Some persons look 
upon sin as a light and venial affair. They 
have been indulging in it, for lo ! these many 
years, and have little concern about the matter. 
O ! could they see it as it appears in the sight of 
a holy God, methinks they would tremble and 
cry out with the Jerusalem convicted sinners, 
" Men and brethren, what shall we do V 9 It is 
supposed that there were as many persons in 
the time of the flood, as there are at the pre- 



THE DELUGE. 



201 



sent time, say eight hundred millions ; and if 
so, what a fearful comment upon the evil of 
sin. Eight hundred millions of human beings 
swallowed up in one wide, yawning, terrific, 
watery grave ! O, methinks the flashing of 
the lightning, and the pealing of the thunder — 
the roaring of the storm, and the dashing of 
the waters — all, all united to send the notes of 
warning far and wide — Stand in awe, and sin 
not. O, sinner, remember you have sinned, 
against the same God, that those, in the days 
of Noah, sinned against; and, be sure, your 
sin will find you out ; for you and God must 
meet. And, whether you chose it or not, you 
must give account for all the deeds done in the 
body, whether they have been good or bad ; 
and how dreadful will it be for you, if you be 
not prepared for the reckoning ! But this 
leads to a 

Third remark. — The deluge may be con- 
sidered a type of the judgment of the great 
day ; and the scenes then presented, as typical 
of the scenes which will be spread before the 
eyes of all when God shall, in the winding up 
of all human events, come with his chariots 
like a whirlwind to render his anger with fury, 
and his rebukes with flames of fire. If the de- 
luge was a tremendous affair, the day of judg- 
ment will be more tremendous still. When 
God destroyed the world by the waters of the 
deluge, he came to reckon with the sinners of 
18 



202 



THE DELUGE. 



only one generation ; but when he shall come, 
in the day of final judgment, he will come to 
reckon with the sinners of every generation. 
Hence, in reference to it, it is said, "The great 
day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able 
to stand." 

" Day of judgment ! day of wonders ! 

Hark ! the trumpet's awful sound ! 
Louder than a thousand thunders, 

Shakes the vast creation round!" 

O ! what scenes of terror will then be presented ! 
When the deluge came, the fountains of the 
great deep were broken up, and the windows 
of heaven were opened ; and the rains de- 
scended, and the floods came, and the winds 
%lew, and one vast and mighty tornado was 
upon the face of the whole earth, striking with 
consternation all the millions doomed to perish ! 
But, O ! how much more terrible will be the 
scenes of the judgment! "Great day of God 
Almighty and of the Lamb !" 

" Whence comes that darkness? Whence those yells of wo? 
What thunderings are these which shake the world? 
Why fall the lamps from heaven as blasted figs ? 
Why tremble righteous men ? Why angels pale ? 
God comes ! God in his car of vengeance comes ! 
Hark ! louder on the blast come hollow shrieks 
Of dissolution ! In the fitful scowl 
Of night, near and more near angels of death 
Incessant flap their deadly wings, and roar 
Through all the fervid air ! The mountains rock ! 
The moon is sick ! Stars cease your dancing now, 
Your graves are dug among the dismal clouds, 
And angels are assembling round your bier." 



THE DELUGE. 



203 



a And I saw," says the apostle John, "a great 
white throne, and him that sat upon it, from 
whose face the earth and the heavens fled 
away ; and there was found no place for them. 
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand be- 
fore God: and the books were opened; and 
another book was opened, which is the book of 
life ; and the dead were judged out of those 
things which were written in the books, ac- 
cording to their works. And the sea gave up 
the dead which were in it; and death and hell 
delivered up the dead which were^in them: 
and they were judged, every man according to 
their works." w Nothing can be more terribly 
sublime than this description. Notice — "And 
I saw a great white throne, and him that sat 
upon it, from whose face the earth and the 
heavens fled away; and there was found no 
place for them." Here is the appearing of the 
final Judge, and, as an effect, the vanishing 
away of the heavens and the earth! As the 
sun, rising in peerless brightness, throws its 
splendours upon the world slumbering in dark- 
ness, and with its effulgence chases away the 
shades of night, and the mists of the morning — 
even so, at the coming of the final Judge, the 
heavens and the earth, substantial as they are? 
shall be only as the shades of the night, and 
the mists of the morning. Smitten by the 
living and insufferable effulgence of his glory, 
they shall vanish away as the shades of the 



204 



THE DELUGE. 



night and the mists of the morning ! And what, 
poor sinner, will then become of thee? Ah? 
my brethren, believe me, the day of judgment 
will come. It is no fiction; it is a great Bible 
truth. The day of judgment will come, and 
you and I must witness all its dread solemni- 
ties! — Aye, and then that sentence shall be 
pronounced upon us, which will place us in 
heaven or in hell! which will number us with 
angels of light or spirits damned ! and, 0 ! re- 
member this sentence admits of no reversal. It 
will be registered in the archives of heaven, 
and registered for eternity ! Wo ! wo ! wo ! to 
those not prepared for the judgment ! It would 
have better been for them had they never been 
born. But my 

Fourth remark is this : — Noah's ark may be 
considered as a type of Christ. One was of 
divine appointment, and so is the other. The 
one was the only refuge — the only means of 
safety, and so is the other. All who were not 
in the ark perished, and out of Christ assuredly 
there is no salvation. " There is salvation in 
none other," says Peter. " Other foundation," 
says Paul, " can no man lay than is laid, which 
is Jesus Christ." And what says John the Bap- 
tist? " He that belie veth on the Son hath ever- 
lasting life; but he that believeth not the Son, 
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth 
upon him." 

According to the Scriptures, God is, in 



THE DELUGE. 



205 



Christ, reconciling the world unto. himself, not 
imputing their trespasses unto them ; but out 
of Christ, God is a consuming fire. O, my 
brethren, believe me, the judgment is coming! 
the day of wrath is drawing nigh, and verily 
"None but Jesus can do helpless sinners good." 
Let it sink down in the ears of all, and never 
be forgotten, that when God arises to judgment, 
Christ, our blessed Saviour, is the sinner's only 
hope and only refuge ; for then the arrows of 
vengeance shall fly on every hand, and strike 
every spot not protected by the shield of a Sa- 
viour's righteousness. 

When the deluge came, those not in the ark 
were, no doubt, filled with strange alarm, and 
in their terror sought refuge, some in one 
place and some in another. Doubtless, some 
ascended the tops of their houses, but found no 
safety there ! Some climbed the trees of the 
forest, some the lofty hills, and some_the tower- 
ing mountains, and some, too, swam around 
the ark, but all in vain ! within the ark was 
peace, within was safety; but without was 
wrath and ruin, desolation and death. So sin- 
ners may seek safety — some in one thing and 
some in another: one relying upon his own 
righteousness, and another upon the interces- 
sion of the saints — one upon his prayers and 
tears, another upon his numerous and splen- 
did charities — but all in vain! Absolutely. 
Christ is the sinner's only refuge — the sin- 
18* 



206 



THE DELUGE. 



ner's only hope. In Christ the sinner is safe 
and happy; without Christ, lost to all eter- 
nity. 

And now, these things being so, permit me 
to make a spiritual and practical application of 
the subject : — "And the Lord said unto Noah. 
Come thou and all thy house into the ark." 
If there be an unconverted father present, to 
him I would now address myself with earnest- 
ness and affection. O, thou who art the head 
of }^our family — thou upon whose arm leans an 
affectionate wife, and around whom cluster be- 
loved sons and daughters — come into the ark • 
You ought to have come a long time ago, . for, 
no doubt, since you have had a family, you 
have received many calls and many warnings. 
Where is that beloved Joseph? that dear little 
Benjamin? that idol of your affections ? Alas! 
torn from your fond embrace by the relentless 
hand of death, that loved one now sleeps in 
the grave ! And was not that providence which 
made this sad breach in your family a loud 
call ? And perhaps another was. taken, and yet 
another! But it may be you have had a call 
of another kind. Some of your household 
have been brought into the fold of Christ. 
What ! shall the child be brought in and the 
parent left out? As the head of your family, 
it was your duty to "allure to brighter worlds 
and lead the way." And shall you linger whilst 
your own children are pressing in? O. come 



THE DELUGE. 207 

into the ark ! For your own sake, come in, for 
verily the responsibility of a parent is great, 
and most fearful must be the reckoning in the 
day of judgment for those heads of families 
who have neglected to train up their children 
in the way in which they should go. I knew 
an unconverted daughter once, who, dying in 
despair,' reproached her parents upon her bed 
of death for neglecting her precious soul. "O 
my father and my mother," said she, "you 
brought me up to nothing." O, how terrible 
is the thought of sons and daughters in the 
world laying the blame of their damnation 
upon their ungodly parents ! O, venerated fa- 
ther, listen to me. O thou, who art the head of 
your family, and king of your household — I 
repeat it — thou upon whose arm leans an affec- 
tionate wife, and around whom cluster sons 
and daughters, who respect and love you, come 
into the ark — come, even if not for your own 
sake, yet for the sake of those who are bone of 
your bone, and flesh of your flesh. The influ- 
ence of parents upon their children, whether 
they desire it or not, is very great. If parents 
are prayerless and worldly-minded, children 
are likely to be prayerless and worldly-minded 
too ; and if they neglect the -Bible and the ordi- 
nances of God's house, their children are likely 
to do the same. 

I recollect the case of a young man whose 
father was an unconverted man, when I urged 



208 



THE DELUGE. 



him to attend to the great concern — " Sir," said 
he, " it is not worth while to speak to me on 
that subject, my father is not a Christian, and 
I don't care about being a better man than my 
father." Ah ! me — those children whose pa- 
rents are not pious are truly to be pitied, for 
then prospects for heaven are dark indeed. 
Some years since, the assertion having been 
made, that the children of the pious were no 
better than others, an investigation was made ; 
and the families within a certain district hav- 
ing been divided into three classes — those in 
which both parents were professedly pious, 
those in which only one parent was a profes- 
sor, and those in which neither parent made 
any pretensions to religion — it was ascertained 
that of the children over ten years of age, in 
the first class, two-thirds were hopefully pious, 
in the second class, about one-third, and in the 
third class, not more than one-twelfth. In 
comparing the first and third classes, it was 
found that, of one hundred and twenty-five 
children of the first class, where both parents 
professed religion, eighty-four were members 
of some church ; whilst of one hundred and 
ninety-nine children of the third class, in 
which neither parent professed religion, only 
fourteen were connected with any church. 
This speaks volumes, and makes a most pow- 
erful appeal to parents on the score of their 
responsibility. O ! if the venerated father who 



THE DELtJGE. 



209 



has all along neglected the great salvation, 
should now, at last, make a move toward the 
cross of Christ — should come out, and take 
his stand openly upon the Lord's side, what 
a powerful, what a thrilling effect it would 
have upon all the members of the family ! 
The beloved parent setting out for heaven, the 
children are not willing to be left behind. O ! 
then, thou respected and most responsible head 
of the family, come into the ark!*Yes, come, 
and come not alone ; bring your wife along 
with you. What! are you willing to be sepa- 
rated from your bosom companion ? and sepa- 
rated for ever? Surely you cannot bear the 
thought — then persuade her to come along with 
you ; and will you not bring your sons also 
with you? are they not all dear to your heart? 
and which will you consent to leave out? the 
eldest or the youngest ? — shall it be Reuben, 
the beginning of your strength, or Benjamin, 
the son of your old age ? And your daughters, 
too, will you not prevail upon them also to 
come in? they love you much ; cast your eye 
over their sweet faces, and say which one are 
you willing to see go down into the pit ? Is it 
the one that is married, or the one that is at 
home ? is it Margaret, or is it Louisa ? is it 
Mary, or your dear little Susan? O! leave 
none out — bring them all into the ark. Noah 
led all his household into the ark. Why should 
you not do the same ? O ! how happy to have 



210 



THE DELUGE. 



a family united on earth, and unbroken in hea- 
ven ! I recollect seeing once the picture of a 
resurrection scene. The graves were open- 
ing — the dead arising ; there was one lovely 
group — a family — a whole family ! father, mo- 
ther, sons and daughters, all radiant and hap- 
py, ascending to the skies together. Once 
more then, I say to thee, venerated parent, as 
the Lord said unto Noah, " Come thou, and 
all thy house, into the ark." Come, this day. 
O ! should you now make a move, how would 
it rouse those around you, and especially your 
own sons and daughters. Young man, young 
maiden, am I wrong ? Should that dear and 
venerated father of yours come out, and con- 
fess Christ before the world, would you be in- 
different to your own soul's salvation ? Here 
then, beloved parent, is a powerful appeal to 
the best feelings of your nature ; here is a 
strong motive, a double motive, nay, a motive 
multiplied according to the number of your 
children. O! come then, " come thou, and all 
thy house, into the ark." 

But perhaps the parents are already in the 
ark, and the children are not, or at least some 
of them. O, ye children of pious parents — ye 
children of the covenant — you upon whom bap- 
tismal water has been poured — your parents 
are in the ark, why linger you without ? Your 
parents are going to heaven — why should you 
not go along with them ? Are you willing to 



THE DELUGE. 



211 



be separated in the great day ? How can you 
bear the thought of seeing them on the right 
hand of the Judge, whilst you are placed on 
the left? Of seeing, them rising and shining 
with angels in glory, whilst you are sinking 
down deeper and deeper in the dark realms of 
wo ! O, it seems to me that if the children of 
the pious go down to hell, they will have no 
common damnation. Their peculiar advanta- 
ges, and then that terrible separation will add 
much to their pangs, and the fearfulness of 
their doom. Only think! suppose one of No- 
ah's sons, when invited by his father, had re- 
fused to go with him into the ark — what would 
have been his feelings when the deluge came ? 
Whilst filled with alarm, and crying out in 
terror, amid the dashing of the billows and the 
roaring of the storm, would he not have looked 
toward the ark in special agony, and ex- 
claimed — " Yonder is the ark, safe upon the 
bosom of the troubled deep! My father is 
there, my mother is there, my brothers are 
there — all, all in safety there — and I am lost! 
I too was invited, yea, urged to enter in with 
them ; why did I not ? O my folly ! my mad- 
ness ! I have brought this evil upon myself! 
Why did I not enter in ? Why did I not enter 
in? It is too late now! O, it is too late now!" 

My dear young friends — ye children of the 
covenant — ye who are so tenderly beloved, for 
whom so many prayers have been offered, and 



212 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



over whom so many tears have been shed! O 
be persuaded to come into the ark ! In the 
great and dreadful day of judgment you will 
need a Saviour ; O embrace him now. Cast 
in your lot with your pious friends, and with 
them be safe and happy, now and for ever- 
more. 

May the God of heaven touch your heart ? 
and incline you to do that which you will wish 
you had done in that day which shall disclose 
" a God in grandeur and a world on fire." 



SERMON VIII. 

WAR IN HEAVEN. 

Rev. xii. 7, 8. — And there was war in heaven : Michael and his an- 
gels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his 
angels, and prevailed not ; neither was their place found any 
more in heaven. 

The visions of John in the Isle of Patmos, are 
in general, mysterious and sublime. But, al- 
though their mystical and prophetic import 
may not be fully understood, they may, never- 
theless, suggest many useful and awakening 
thoughts. The passage at present under con- 
sideration is not entirely free. from difficulty; 
and commentators have different views of the 
subject. Some suppose that by the dragon, we 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



are to understand the Pagan Roman Empire ; 
by Michael, the Christian Roman Empire ; by 
Heaven the throne of the Roman Emperors ; 
and by the war in heaven is meant the different 
and opposite conns els of Pagan and Christian 
Roman Emperors. Without attempting to 
settle the mystical or prophetic import of the 
passage, I wish, at this time, to consider it as 
pointing to an event which literally took place 
in heaven ; an event most memorable indeed ; 
which has awakened the attention of the uni- 
verse, changed the face of creation, and has 
been productive of most direful consequences 
to angels and to men : I mean the fall of rebel 
angels in heaven. 

My brethren, God is the Creator and Sove- 
reign of the universe. Millions of worlds roll 
around his throne, and no doubt, all are in- 
habited by intelligent creatures. Of these in- 
telligent beings, only two orders are known 
to us — angels and men ; both, originally pure 
and upright, were, according to the Scriptures, 
placed in a state of probation, and made free 
to stand, yet liable to fall. The angels were 
first created. They were a superior order, and 
were to stand or fall; each for himself. Man, 
to stand or fall in his federal head. Some of 
the angels, called elect, kept their first estate, 
and were confirmed in a state of purity and 
happiness ; others, according to the Scriptures, 
kept not their first estate. They sinned and fell 
19 



214 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



What their sin was, we know not, for the Bible 
has not revealed it. It is no matter, Suffice 
it for ns to know that they sinned. That mo- 
ment the golden chain of love which bound 
them to the throne of God, was broken for 
ever. They assumed the character of sinners ; 
of rebels against the divine majesty. What 
daring acts of opposition they attempted, we 
know not ; but there is reason to believe, that 
as they presumed to rebel against their Maker, 
so they also presumed, openly and positively, 
to resist his high authority. And, doubtless, 
God made use of some instruments in punish- 
ing them. This would be in perfect harmony 
with his general dealings in punishing sin; for 
when he would root out the Canaanites for 
their impieties, he sent against them Joshua 
and the tribes of Israel ; and when he would 
punish the Jews for their rejection of the Mes- 
siah, he raised up against them Titus and the 
Roman army. Angels too, we find, have been 
employed in services of a similar kind. It was 
an angel, you recollect, that in one gloomy 
disastrous night, slew all the first born in the 
land of Egypt! And was it not an angel also, 
who entered the camp of Sennacherib, and in 
one night laid low in death one hundred and 
eighty-five thousand men before the walls of 
Jerusalem! Why then may we not suppose, 
that when the apostate spirits were driven from 
heaven, it was done by holy angels, led on by 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



215 



Michael the archangel? So that, literally, 
" There was war in heaven : Michael and his 
angels fought against the dragon ; and the 
dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed 
not ; neither was their place found any more 
in heaven." My brethren, think me not fan- 
ciful. I have not selected this text as the 
groundwork of any vain speculations. I have 
no wish to amuse you with any conceits or 
imaginations of my own. The subject I trust 
you will find to be one of deep and solemn 
interest, and of great practical importance. I 
confess I like the subject, because it serves to 
present vividly, and in a new aspect, some 
great truths which are too little thought upon. 
We' wish now, 

I. To consider the character of the war of 
rebel angels in heaven, and 

II. To compare and contrast it with the war 
of rebel men on earth. 

I. The character of the war of rebel angels 
in heaven. It has several features, as we may 
gather from various parts of the sacred Scrip- 
tures. 

First. It was wilful, I mean they brought 
it upon themselves. Certainly they came from 
the hands of their Creator pure and happy, 
and if originally placed in a state of probation, 
as the Bible clearly gives us to understand, 
then of course, they must have been free 
agents. 



216 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



" Not free, what proof could they have given sincere 
Of true allegiance, constant faith and love, 
When what they needs must do, appeared 
Not what they would. What praise could they receive, 
What pleasure, God, from such obedience paid 1 
When will and reason, of freedom both despoiled, 
Made passive both, had served Necessity, 
Not God. They therefore as to right belonged, 
So were created." 

We dare not say that, subsequently, God ex- 
erted any positive influence upon their will, 
inclining them to sin. This would be an im- 
peachment of the goodness of God, as though 
he took pleasure in the misery of his creatures. 
It would impugn his wisdom, as though he 
knew not at first, how properly to create these 
angels ; nay, more, it would arraign his jus- 
tice, for had he done it, he would have destroy- 
ed their free agency — he would have changed 
their original constitution ; and, in fact, would 
have been the author of their sin ! No, no ! 
they were made, strictly speaking, free agents, 
and so they continued until their fall. But 
mark ! if free agents, of course, whilst free to 
stand, yet liable to fall. They fell ! God was 
not the author of their fall. No, but as one 
well expresses it — they fell, " self-tempted, self- 
depraved." 

n They themselves decreed 

Their own revolt : not God. If he foreknew, 
Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault. 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



217 



Which had proved no less certain, unforeknown : 
So, without least impulse, or shadow of fate, 
Or aught by him, immutably foreseen, 
They trespassed." 

This view of the matter, falls in precisely 
with the language of the Bible ; for it tells us 
that the angels sinned, that they kept not their 
first estate, but left their habitations ; all of 
which phrases evidently imply a voluntary, 
wilful act of their own. But this wilful apos- 
tacy on the part of rebel angels was the pro- 
curing cause of their expulsion, or the war in 
heaven ; therefore, on the part of these once 
exalted, now fallen spirits, it was a wilful war. 

Secondly. It was an irreconcilable war — •■ 
and that, both on the part of God, and with re- 
gard to rebel angels also. 1. It is irreconcil- 
able on the part of God. Let us for a moment 
look at the state of the case. God is the alone 
Monarch of all worlds. The whole creation 
is his empire, and all intelligent creatures the 
rightful subjects of his moral government. 
Now, it is a matter of the last importance, that 
the honours of the divine government be main- 
tained, and that no attribute of God, and no 
law which he has framed for the well-beingf of 

o 

his creatures, should be trampled upon ; and 
if trampled upon, not only does the justice and 
the honour of God, but the tranquillity and 
well-being of all worlds require that this act, 
so sinful and dangerous, should not be permit- 
19* 



218 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



ted to pass with impunity. Now, when an- 
gels sinned, they insulted the Divine Majesty ; 
violated the laws framed for the well-being of 
creation, and therefore endangered the happi- 
ness of all worlds. This act must not be per- 
mitted to pass unpunished. Ah! my brethren, 
if we could only understand the full malignity 
of sin — if we could only understand the great 
dishonour it brings upon God, and the direful 
consequences it would produce throughout all 
worlds if permitted to pass with impunity, 
we w r ould immediately perceive that, without 
some effectual plan, devised to satisfy the law 
and justice of God, God could never be recon- 
ciled to sinning angels. According to the 
Scriptures no plan has ever been divised, nor 
ever will be : hence, the fire prepared for the 
devil and his angels is an everlasting fire. 
Moreover, 

2. This war is irreconcilable on the part of 
rebel angels also, for when they sinned, that 
moment their natures were changed. Their 
moral powers were broken, and their very spi- 
rits poisoned. Love, once triumphant, was 
succeeded by hatred, deadly and eternal hatred. 
The passions of the soul, and the affections of 
the heart, which once so sweetly harmonized, 
were thrown into disorder and became as jar- 
ring elements, or as the troubled sea that can- 
not rest, According to the sacred Scriptures, 
fallen angels have no tender feelings — no re- 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



219 



lenting thoughts. All is malignant rancour, 
and therefore, 

" Never can true reconcilement grow 



Where wounds of deadly hate have pierced so deep ; 
Which would but lead them to a worse relapse, 
And heavier fall." 

To this hour Satan, or as he is here termed, 
the dragon, and his angels, are as much op- 
posed to their Maker as they ever were. And 
what though we cannot see them " hurling de- 
fiance to the vault of heaven," nor hear them 
blaspheming the God of heaven, because of 
their pains, jet the proof thereof is seen in the 
faded beauties of this once fair creation, and 
heard in the groans of the sick and the dying. 
Satan, vanquish ed on the plains of heaven, has, 
so to speak, shifted the scene of warfare. Ra- 
ging w T ith malice, he has come down to earth, 
here to continue his impious struggle against 
the Most High. Long has he been striving to 
blast the works of God, and, alas ! how has he 
succeeded in robbing man of his primeval in- 
nocence, and in converting a blooming Eden 
into a vale of tears and field of blood! Ever 
since the fall of man, as we learn from the sa- 
cred volume, this enemy of God and man has 
been going about, as a roaring lion, seeking 
whom he may devour. Rapid as lightning, 
and insatiable as death, he stops at nothing. 



220 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



Lowering clouds of wrath alarm him not ; — 
quenchless fires of vengeance impede him not. 
It is his purpose, if he can, to defeat the coun- 
sels of his Maker, and send the ploughshare of 
ruin over all the works of God. Having suc- 
ceeded in tempting our first parents, he pre- 
sumed to tempt the Messiah himself, God's 
Eternal Son ! Signally defeated by him, he 
still continues to stir up war against the rem- 
nant of his seed. This is no fiction. You re- 
collect the language of our Saviour — " Simon. 
Simon, Satan hath desired to have thee, that 
he might sift thee as wheat :" and the apostle 
John, in reference to the period immediately 
preceding the millennium, says : — " And I 
heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is 
come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom 
of our God, and the power of his Christ: for 
the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which 
accused them before our God day and night." 
And again this voice is uttered in heaven : — 
" Wo to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the 
sea! for the devil is come do wn unto you, having 
great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath 
but a short time." Rev. xii. 10. 12. Hence it 
appears that Satan and his angels continue 
their opposition to their Maker, and will con- 
tinue it until the winding up of all human 
events ; when, as we are expressly told, he 
shall be cast into the bottomless pit, where the 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



221 



beast and the false prophet are, and shall be 
tormented day and night for ever. The war, 
then, is absolutely irreconcilable. 

3. It is an unreasonable war — on the part 
of rebel angels a most unreasonable w 7 ar. It 
must be, for God, as an infinitely wise and 
good Being, could have given no just cause 
or occasion. The Bible tells us that God is 
love. This is indeed his memorial from all 
generations, even from all eternity ; and even 
fallen angels cannot deny it — and why? God 
was such to them until they sinned. Yes, he 
brought them from the womb of non-existence. 
He crowned them with glory and honour; 
placed them near his' throwm, and made them 
as happy as their natures would admit of ; and 
yet, they kept not their first habitation — they 
rebelled ! 

"Ah, wherefore ? He deserves no such return 
From them, whom he created what they were, 
In that bright eminence ; and with his good 
Upbraided none ! Nor was his service hard ; 
What could be less, than pay him thanks? 
How due !" 

Why, then, did they rebel? Was there any- 
thing in the character of God which they could 
impeach ? Certainly not, for it was absolutely 
perfect. Was there any thing in his govern- 
ment which they could condemn? By no 
means ; for it is founded on the principles of 
infinite wisdom and eternal rectitude. Well, 



222 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



was there any thing in their own circumstances 
which could reasonably create discontent? O 
no, for they were in heaven, and their cup of 
bliss was overflowing. Why then did they 
rebel? Although we know what tempted 
them, yet, in the very nature of the case, it is 
evident that the war which they waged against 
their Maker was without cause, and therefore 
unreasonable. It was a war of ingratitude, of 
folly, of madness: — was a war against duty, 
against interest, against happiness itself : a 
war, in short, for which not only the justice 
of God must for ever condemn them, but the 
voice of reason, and the voice of the whole 
intelligent creation. Certainly, then, it was an 
unreasonable war. 

Lastly : It was to rebel angels a most fatal 
and disastrous war. They gained nothing, but 
lost much. 1. They lost the favour of God, 
even that favour which is life, and that loving- 
kindness which is better than life. This they 
once enjoyed in plenitude and perfection; but 
now it is lost for ever ! Never more shall they 
be permitted to come into the peaceful presence 
of their Maker! Never more share in the light 
of his countenance, or any tokens of his love ! 
Nay more; having forfeited his favour, they 
must endure his withering frowns for ever! 
2. They lost their own moral loveliness. Once, 
in the image of God, they were pure and lovely 
indeed ! Every celestial virtue, every heavenly 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



223 



grace was upon them. They were fairer than 
the roses of paradise, lovelier than the stars of 
the morning. But, alas ! when they sinned, 
all was changed. No longer innocent, they 
became hateful; no longer the sons of God, 
they became demons of the pit. 3. They lost, 
moreover, their seats in heaven ! O those sweet, 
those happy fields, where joy for ever reigns ! 
To rebel angels they are lost for ever ! Their 
seats are vacant now ; their harps are thrown 
away, and " their place shall be found no more 
in heaven!" No more shall they mingle with 
the blessed ; nor sweep their melodious strings ; 
nor chant their heavenly songs. No more shall 
they climb the heights of bliss ; nor range the 
fields of glory ; nor dwell in the sweet vales of 
heaven ! For their horrid guilt, they are in 
everlasting exile from that happy world! cast 
down to hell — and what kind of a place is that ? 
a pit that has no bottom — a lake burning with 
fire and brimstone — 

41 A dungeon, horrible on all sides round, 
As one great furnace flames ! jet from those flames, 
No light ! but rather darkness visible ! 
Which serves only to discover sights of wo, 
Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace 
And rest can never dwell, hope never comes !" 

My brethren, believe me, or rather believe the 
sacred volume, it is a fearful thing to fall into 
the hands of the living God. The rebel angels, 
in sinning against God, gained nothing but lost 



224 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



much ! And so must it be with all who dare 
rebel against their Maker, and who with the 
Great Eternal provoke unequal war. But this 
leads us 

II. To compare and contrast the war of rebel 
angels in heaven, with the war of rebel men on 
earth ; and, for this purpose chiefly, have I se- 
lected the passage of Scripture now before us. 
The dragon and his angels gained no victories 
in heaven ; but, shall I say it ; they have suc- 
ceeded in gaining allies on earth ! Yes, the hu- 
man race, seduced from their allegiance by the 
great tempter, have made common cause with 
fallen angels, and are now in arms against the 
everlasting God! Yes, awful and melancholy 
as the thought is, it is even so ! Satan has suc- 
ceeded in pouring much of his venom into the 
human heart ! and multitudes of the human 
family are now ranged with him under the 
banner of revolt ! Not all ! No ! blessed be 
God, some, sweetly subdued by heavenly grace, 
have laid down the weapons of their rebel- 
lion. Through the interposition of the great 
Redeemer, and the powerful energies of the 
divine spirit, they have made their peace with 
God ; and now, ranged under his banner, they 
are the willing subjects of his moral govern- 
ment. But the multitude, the great mass of 
the human family, sorry am I to say, this mo- 
ment, leagued with the dragon and his angels, 
are fighting against the God who made them. 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



225 



Do you demand proof? Look around you, and 
see how many are enemies to God by wicked 
works — how many profane his sabbaths ! how 
many blaspheme his holy name! how many 
slight his word! how many reject the Son of 
his love ! how T many indulge in riot and de- 
bauchery! how many in theft and murder! 
Ah! my brethren, the fact is but too evident — 
the world lies in wickedness. It is now, and 
ever since the fall has been, a rebellious 
province of Jehovah's dominions. I have 
nourished and brought up children, says God, 
and they have rebelled against me. And does 
not the apostle Paul affirm that the carnal 
mind is enmity against God? and does he not 
address the unrenewed as those arrayed against 
their Maker. Notice his language: "Now 
then, we are embassadors for Christ, as though 
God did beseech you by us, we pray you in 
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." The 
case is clear — all unregenerate sinners — (and 
do they not constitute the mass of the human 
family?) — are in a state of open opposition and 
downright rebellion against their Maker ! O it 
is an impious contest, a most unholy war ! But 
we promised to compare and contrast the war 
of rebel men on earth, with that of rebel angels 
in heaven. In many things the resemblance 
is most exact and striking; in only one thing 
is there a difference. 

First. Was the war of rebel angels a wilful 
20 



226 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



war ? So also is the war of rebel men. It is 
true the original dispensations to angels and to 
men were not the same. The former stood or 
fell, each for himself : the latter in their fede- 
ral head, Adam, the head and representative 
of his race, broke covenant with God — wilful- 
ly sinned, and thus, so to speak, in his own 
name and that of all his posterity, declared 
war against his Maker, as a sovereign acting 
in behalf of the people whom he represents. 
"By one man's disobedience," says the Apos- 
tle, " were many made sinners" — that is, the 
act of Adam, in breaking covenant with God, 
was reckoned as the act of his posterity ; in 
proof of this position, we find the consequences 
of the fall extending to the whole human fami- 
ly. But there is another view of the matter. 
All mankind, it is true, by virtue of their con- 
nexion with Adam, as their federal head, are, 
equally with him, involved in the ruins of the 
fall ; but infinite wisdom and love have plan- 
ned and executed a scheme, by which the 
ruins of the fall may be restored, and man may 
again be brought into favour with his Maker. 
Our blessed Saviour having, by his death and 
sufferings, made the great atonement, the gos- 
pel of peace and reconciliation is preached, 
and all who will, are invited to come through 
the Mediator, and obtain peace with their 
offended Maker, and even everlasting life, 
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, those 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



227 



who refuse and reject the overtures of mercy, 
do evidently continue in wilful rebellion, and 
in this way do, deliberately, to all intents and 
purposes, sanction the act of their federal head, 
and make it their own ! and, that they are 
wilful in this matter, is evident from many 
passages of Scripture, especially from the lan- 
guage of our Saviour, "Ye will not come unto 
me that ye might have life." Ah ! my bre- 
thren, it is even so. God calls, but sinners 
will not hear. He stretches out his hand, but 
sinners will not regard. He offers them mercy, 
on gospel terms, and repeatedly offers it, but 
they wilfully reject it ; and, by their conduct, 
daringly say, with Pharaoh, "Who is the 
Lord that we should obey him ? we know not 
the Lord, neither will we obey his voice." 
And what is this but wilful rebellion ?JBeside's, 
oftentimes the Spirit of God moves upon the 
heart of the sinner, but the sinner braces him- 
self up against these divine influences ; and 
the charge brought by Stephen against certain 
Jews in his day, may with but too much pro- 
priety be brought against many of the uncon- 
verted at the present time — "Ye uncircum- 
cised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the 
Holy Ghost, as your fathers did, so do ye." In 
other words, in resisting the strivings of the 
Divine Spirit, and wilfully stifling their con- 
victions, they fight against God, and there is a 



228 



AVAR IN HEAVEN, 



wilfulness in this matter which adds greatly to 
their sin. 

Secondly. Was the war of rebel angels an 
irreconcilable war? Thank God, here we can 
drop the comparison, and take up the contrast. 
Yes, on this theatre of war, in the midst of 
heaven-daring rebels, our blessed Redeemer 
has, by the shedding of his most precious 
blood, made the great atonement. Elevated 
upon the cross, this glorious God-man Media- 
tor has, so to speak, laid one hand upon divi- 
nity and the other upon humanity, and in this 
way, has accomplished a blessed work of love 
and reconciliation — has thus opened up a way, 
whereby God can be just, and yet justify the 
penitent and believing sinner — the sinner who 
accepts of Christ as his surety and only hope, 
as it is written, " Being justified by faith, we 
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus 
Christ," And again, " There is therefore now, 
no condemnation to them which are in Christ 
Jesus, who walk, not after the flesh, but after 
the Spirit." Ah ! my brethren, had the bless- 
ed Jesus not interposed, the hope of heavenly 
grace had never cheered the heart of man ! 
This is the Good Shepherd, who, when he 
saw a hundred worlds rolling around his Fa- 
ther's throne, and this was lost, left the ninety- 
and-nine in the wilderness of space, and came 
to seek and to save this lost world ! 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



229 



u O love divine ! Harp, lift thy voice on high ! 
Shout angels ! Shout aloud ye sons of men, 
And burn, my heart, with the eternal flame." 

Millions of the human family have already 
been reconciled to God by the death of his 
Son, and have been made for ever happy by 
redeeming love ; and millions more, drawn 
from the standard of revolt, and ranged under 
the banner of the great Redeemer, shall yet 
enter the dwellings of the blest, and take rank 
amongst the angels of God, in glory everlast- 
ing. O how thankful should we be, that whilst 
the war of rebel angels is irreconcilable, the 
war of rebel men may be brought to a speedy 
and happy termination. This is a blessed 
truth, and I love to present it ; but let it not 
be forgotten, that the period of possible recon- 
ciliation is a limited period. In this world sin- 
ners may make their peace with God — but in 
this world only. When death's leaden sceptre 
is laid upon the cold bosom, the state of the 
sinner is fixed for ever ! Ever after there is 
no redemption, there is no hope ! 

" There are no acts of pardon passed, 
In the cold grave to which we haste ; 
But darkness, death, and long despair, 
-Reign in eternal silence there f" 

O how important is it, then, that every one 
of us diligently improve our day of grace on 
earth ; and, with all our heart, seek salvation 
20* 



230 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



while "pardon maybe sought, and mercy may 
be found." But, 

Thirdly. Was the war of rebel angels an un- 
reasonable war? And what shall we say of 
the war of rebel men? O, my brethren, how 
shall we vindicate foolish, infatuated man? 
Angels sinned against creating goodness — man 
against redeeming 1 ove . Angels warred under 
black despair — man under hope of heavenly 
grace. The sword of justice pursued revolting 
angels — the wings of mercy were outstretched 
to shelter revolting man. And yet man rebels ! 
Infatuated man ! what would he have ? — Rich- 
es ? In rejecting the grace of God he rejects the 
true riches. Honour ? There is no honour like 
that which cometh down from God only. 
Safety? Everlasting arms are round about 
them who put their trust in Israel's God. Hap- 
piness ? And where can happiness be found 
but in Him who is the only true source and 
fountain of all enjoyment ? And yet the sinner 
rebels ! 0 how* unreasonable ! In rebelling 
against God, the sinner loses much, every thing 
that should be dear and precious to the soul. 
And what does he gain ? Nothing ! literally 
nothing! except it be an upbraiding conscience, 
an aching heart, and a burning hell! O, how 
does the sinner sin against his own judgment, 
his own interest, and his own happiness ! and 
moreover, against all motives and considera- 
tions which should affect him. He knows that 



WAR, IN HEAVEN. 



231 



the way of transgressors is hard, and yet he 
sins on ! He knows that his sins will find him 
out, and yet he sins on ! He knows that the 
arm of God is powerful, and cannot be resist- 
ed, and yet he sins on ! He knows that there 
is forgiveness for the penitent and yet he sins 
on. And that certain damnation awaits the 
impenitent, and yet he sins on! Infatuated 
man ! In the view of all the glories of the 
heavenly world — in view of all the horrors 
of the world of wo, and, moreover, in view 7 
of all the love of God, and all the agonies of 
a dying Saviour — in short, in view T of every 
thing calculated to subdue and melt the heart, 
he sins on ! Be astonished, O heavens ! and O 
earth! earth! earth! hear the complaint of the 
Eternal God — "I have nourished and brought 
up children, and they have rebelled against 
me." But, 

Fourthly. Was the war of rebel angels fatal 
and disastrous ? So also, most assuredly, will 
be the continued war of rebel men. Millions 
have already fallen in the impious contest, and 
shall rise no more. My friends, God is a God 
of power. His throne is in the heavens, and 
his kingdom ruleth over all. There are none 
that can measure swords with him, nor snatch 
the sceptre from his hand, nor resist the power 
of his arms! He need only speak, and worlds 
on worlds would roll from his creative hand ! 
He need only will it, and all would again sink 



232 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



in fiery ruins! It is true, according to the 
Psalmist — " The kings of the earth set them- 
selves, and the rulers take counsel together 
against the Lord, and against his anointed, 
saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and 
cast away their cords from us." Shall they 
succeed ? Shall they prevail ? What says the 
Psalmist again? — " He that sitteth in the hea- 
vens shall laugh. The Lord shall have them 
in derision. He shall break them with a rod 
of iron ! he shall dash them in pieces, like a 
potter's vessel." O, when God shall arise to 
judge the earth, what a day will that be ! 
Great day of God Almighty and the Lamb ! 
O, how will sinners then quail ! how will every 
rebel's face gather blackness ! For God will 
come to reckon with sinners then, and terrible 
will be the manner of his coming. Lightnings 
shall flash from his piercing eyes — thunders 
shall roll aroud his awful throne ! Yea, he 
shall come with his chariots, like a whirlwind, 
to render his anger with fury, and his rebukes 
with flames of fire ; and most fearful, indeed, 
will be the condition of those who shall then, 
as sinners, fall into the hands of the living 
God. They will call upon the rocks and the 
mountains to fall upon them ! They will 
shriek in agony ! They will wish they had 
never been born, or had slumbered for ever in 
the silent grave. O, my fellow sinner, think 
upon this matter now, before it be for ever 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



233 



too late. You are now contending against 
your Maker; you have taken sides with the 
dragon and his angels; you are this moment 
ranged under the black banner of Apollyon ! 
and, if the war of rebel angels was, to rebel 
angels, fatal and disastrous, so also must be the 
impious struggle in which you are engaged, if 
continued in — "For," says the Scripture, "who- 
ever hardened himself against him and pros- 
pered?" Yea, when God enters into judgment, 
he will overcome; yea, verily, the triumphs 
of Jehovah must ever be glorious to himself, 
but terrible to the workers of iniquity. 

My brethren, our text this morning is an in- 
teresting one ; and, viewed in the application 
which we have made of it, it is to us of deep 
personal interest and importance. " There was 
war in heaven : Michael and his angels fought 
against the dragon ; and the dragon fought, and 
his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their 
place found any more in heaven." Remember, 
the scene is changed, but the war is not ended 
yet. Yes, here ! here on this globe of ours, the 
warfare is going on still ! for, according to the 
Scriptures, Satan, fallen from heaven, has come 
down to earth! Here he has planted his stand- 
ard, and, alas ! man has madly taken sides with 
this fallen spirit. This is the great battle field 
of the universe. Many eyes are looking on, 
and here must the battle be fought, and here 
brought to a final close. Is the result doubt- 



234 



WAR IN HEAVEN. 



ful? No ! assuredly — for, can an atom contend 
against a mountain 1 or can the chaff resist the 
sweeping whirlwind? — no more can the sinner 
contend against his Maker. War in any form, 
and against any power, is a terrible thing ; and 
according to the might of the enemy is the ter- 
ror of the conflict Valour reigned in the bosom 
of Leonidas and his Spartan band; yet, me- 
thinks, brave and heroic as they were, they 
must have quailed before the mighty power of 
a Xerxes. Valour reigned in the bosom of our 
Washington and his associate heroes, and yet, 
no doubt, even they felt awful in the prospect 
of meeting the power of England upon the 
tented field. But what is the power of a 
Xerxes, or the power of England, in compari- 
son with the power of the great God, who can 
"dash whole worlds to death, and make them 
when he please?" Those who array them- 
selves against an earthly power, however for- 
midable that power may appear, may neverthe- 
less succeed; but there is no succeeding against 
Omnipotence. God must be victorious, and all 
his enemies must, and will be subdued ! But 
even suppose the patriot soldier knows that he 
must fall before his enemy, and perish on the 
field of battle ; yet, if his cause is a good one, 
this animates him, and he can say, "Dulce et 
decorum est, pro patria mori." It is sweet and 
glorious to die for one's country ! — How sleep 
the brave ! How delightful to have our memory 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



235 



embalmed in the hearts of our grateful coun- 
trymen ! — but there is no such consolation for 
the sinner, who, ranged under the black banner 
of Apollyon, is engaged in a cause which his 
own reason now condemns ; and perishing, he 
will have nothing to console him in a dying 
hour, nor through all the ages of a gloomy and 
unblest eternity. O, sinner! sinner! you are 
fighting against your own interest, your own 
happiness! You have taken sides with the 
dragon and his angels — you are fighting with 
fiends — against your own soul, and against the 
God who made you ! O be entreated. This 
day lay down the weapons of your rebellion — 
this day change sides — make your peace with 
your Maker, and when your life on earth is 
ended, you shall have a place in heaven, and 
there be happy for ever. 



SERMON IX, 

ON SEEKING THE LORD. 

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while 
he is near.— Isaiah lv. 6. 

My brethren, if a man wants wealth, he seeks 
it; if he desires fame, he seeks it; if he has 
set his heart upon the attainment of any tem- 
poral object, which he deems important, he 



236 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



makes a diligent use of the proper means for 
the attainment of that object. This principle 
is correct; and upon it is based the words of 
our text: — "Seek ye the Lord while he may 
be found, call ye upon him while he is near." 
David said, " When thou saidst, Seek ye my 
face, my heart said unto thee, thy face, Lord, 
will I seek." Hezekiah was commended be- 
cause he sought the Lord with all his heart ; 
and Josiah, because he sought the Lord whilst 
he was young. The direction in our text is a 
standing one ; — " Seek ye the Lord while he 
may be found, call ye upon him while he is 
near." Some persons are ready to say, "You 
ministers of the gospels are frequently urging 
us to attend to the great concern, and warning 
us of the danger of dying in our sins, but why 
do you not pour a little light upon the subject? 
Why do you not tell us plainly what we are 
to do V Well, now, if I tell you what is to be 
done, will you attend to it? If I mark out the 
way to heaven, will you walk in it? Then 
listen! If you would be saved, you must seek 
the Lord, and if you would do this successful- 
ly, there are three things which must be done : 
You must take Jesus Christ for your way; 
the Divine Spirit for your helper ; and the 
sacred volume for your guide. To be sure, I 
might say to the serious inquirer, as Paul did 
to the Philipian jailor, "Believe in the Lord 
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved:" or, as 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



237 



Peter did to certain Jerusalem sinners, when 
awakened, " Repent ye, therefore, and be con- 
verted, that your sins may be blotted out, 
when the times of refreshing shall come from 
the presence of the Lord." But you wish me 
to be more extended in my remarks, then 
let me call your attention to the three things 
stated. 

1. You are to take Jesus Christ as your 
way ; and for this we have his own authority, 
as he expressly says, "I am the way, the 
truth, and the life," (or, as it may be rendered, 
"the true and living way,") "and no man 
cometh unto the Father but by me." In the 
economy of redemption Jesus Christ is " all 
and in all." He is our only Advocate and Me- 
diator. In him God is reconciling the world 
unto himself, not imputing to them their ini- 
quities ; but, out of Christ, God is a consum- 
ing fire. Those who are accepted, are accept- 
ed in the Beloved, and those who are not 
accepted in the Beloved, are not accepted at 
all, as it is written, " Other foundation can no 
man lay than is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 
This is all very plain, and this in substance, is 
taught by every true minister of Christ, on 
every Sabbath day, and yet many persons, 
when awakened, and when stirred up to seek 
the salvation of their souls, make an error at 
the very outset. They go to God the Father 
without having any reference to Christ, as the 
21 



238 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



appointed Mediator. Now, this will not an- 
swer, for the Savionr says expressly, in lan- 
guage already recited, " I am the way, the 
truth, and the life, and no man cometh unto 
the Father, but by me." There was corn in 
Egypt when the famine prevailed, and when 
those who needed corn came to Pharaoh, he 
said unto them, Go to Joseph, I have made 
him Lord over all Egypt, therefore go to 
Joseph. Should they neglect this direction, 
and come to Pharaoh the second time, me- 
thinks he would say, Did I not tell you to go 
to Joseph? he is appointed over this matter. 
Go to Joseph ! Should they come to Pharaoh 
the third time, without regarding his direction, 
methinks he would say, Leave my kingdom 
instantly ! — no man who will not submit to 
the law of the realm shall receive supplies. 
Leave my kingdom without delay ! Even so 
in this matter. Christ is Lord of all, and 
without him there is no salvation, and there 
is no hope. But again ; some persons setting 
out to seek the salvation of their souls make 
another blunder. Instead of coming to Christ 
in the exercise of love, and an appropriating 
faith, they go to their duties. They think that 
they are not good enough to corne to Christ 
yet, and therefore they purpose to make them- 
selves a little better first ; just like those of 
whom Paul speaks, who, " being ignorant of 
God's righteousness, and going about to estab- 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



239 



lisli their own righteousness, have not submit- 
ted themselves unto the righteousness of God." 
Rom. x. 3. And why this? Because this great 
doctrine is forgotten, or not properly under- 
stood, that " Christ is the end of the law for 
righteousness to every one that believeth;" 
and, as the Apostle teaches in another place, 
that u a man is justified by faith without the 
deeds of the lav/." Rom. iii. 28. My brethren, 
I repeat it, in the economy of redemption, 
Christ is all in all. This must be clearly un- 
derstood and acted upon, by all who would 
seek the Lord and find him in the salvation of 
their souls. The language of the poet is both 
beautiful and correct: 

" Jesus, lover of my soul, 

Let me to thy bosom fly, 
While the raging billows roll, 

While the tempest still is high. 
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide, 

'Till the storm of life is past, 
Safe into the haven guide, 

O receive my soul at last. 

Other refuge have I none ! 

Hangs my helpless soul on thee ; 
Leave, ah! leave me not alone, 

Still support and comfort me. 
All my trust on thee is staid, 

All my help from thee I bring, 
Cover my defenceless head 

With the shadow of thy wing." 

2. You must take the Divine Spirit as your 



240 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



helper. — Even if the sinner were pardoned by 
virtue of the redemption which is in Christ 
Jesus, there is still an inward work of grace 
and sanctification to be accomplished, to fit 
him for heaven. And, as the angel of the Lord 
said unto Elijah, " arise and eat, because the 
journey is too great for thee," so may we say 
to the awakened sinner, who asks what he must 
do to be saved — Arise and seek divine aid for 
the work is too great for thee. — For example, 
the sinner's heart is to be changed. As it is 
written, "O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from 
wickedness that thou mayest be saved !" Jer. 
iv. 14. And again; "Make you a new heart, 
and a new spirit : for why will ye die, O house 
of Israel?" Ezek. xviii. 31. Now the sinner, of 
himself, can no more accomplish this great 
work than he can roll a mountain, or heave an 
ocean! What then? Shall he say, I cannot 
accomplish the work. It is the work of the 
Spirit. His influences are absolutely neces- 
sary — I will leave it to the Spirit — and I will 
do nothing. Shall he say this? Certainly not. 
The showers of heaven we all know are ab- 
solutely necessary to the production of a crop. 
Planters ! if God should seal up the clouds of 
heaven, and send no rain upon the earth, for 
three years and six months, as in the time of 
the prophet, — you might fence in your field, 
and plough up your ground, and scatter your 
seed ; but it would be all in vain. "What then ? 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 241 

Does the planter say, The showers of heaven 
are absolutely necessary to the production of 
a crop — I will do nothing — I will sit still and 
leave it to the showers of heaven to fence in 
my field, and plough up my ground, and 
scatter the seed. Does he say this ? We know 
that he does not. Well, the winds of heaven, 
also, are necessary to waft the merchant-ship 
over the ocean. The ship master knows it full 
well ; and does he say, I will not weigh the 
anchor — I will not spread the canvass — I will 
not consult the chart — the winds of heaven are 
absolutely necessary to waft my ship over the 
ocean, I will leave it all to the winds of heaven I 
O no, we never hear any thing of this kind. 
In temporal matters, sinners usually act wisely 
and discreetly; but in spiritual matters, all 
seems to be perverse and wrong ! There need 
be no difficulty. As in temporal, so in spiritual 
matters. There must be the meeting of the 
divine and human agency. See the children 
of Israel at Pihahiroth, they are hemmed in on 
all sides ; mountains on this side, mountains on 
that side ; behind them, Pharaoh with his 
army pressing on ; and before them, the Red 
Sea ! — Now, are they not completely hemmed 
in? They are unarmed, and it is clear de- 
liverance can come only from above. But they 
were delivered. How ? By the meeting of the 
human and divine agency : — God directs Moses 
to stretch his rod over the Red Sea. Moses, if 
21* 



242- ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



perverse, might have said, Lord God, what is 
the use of stretching the rod over the Red Sea? 
He was not perverse. The command was 
given : Stretch the rod over the Red Sea. He 
obeyed— he stretched the rod. Here was the 
putting forth of the human agency ! Imme- 
diately the divine agency came down with 
mighty power upon the waters of the Red Sea, 
and lo ! they parted asunder ! and the children 
of Israel passed through on dry ground ! Now, 
here was the meeting of both the divine and 
human agency, and yet all who looked on, 
knew very well, that the only efficient agent 
was God ; hence, the tribes, with one accord, 
on the other side of the banks of the Red Sea, 
sang God's praises, not the praises of Moses. 
Take another case. The children of Israel, in 
the wilderness, on a certain occasion, were 
ready to perish with thirst, 

" They longed for a cooling stream, 
And they must drink or die." 

And now, who can furnish water for such a 
multitude, in this parched, waste, and howling 
wilderness ? Assuredly, none but God only. It 
was furnished — How ? and in what manner ? By 
the meeting of the human and divine agency, as 
we said before. God directs Moses to reach forth 
his rod and smite the rock. He did so, and lo ! 
the water gushed in great abundance from the 
smitten rock. The children of Israel crowded 



ON SEEKIKG THE LORD. 243 



around ; drank of the cool-flowing stream, 
slaked their thirst, and praised, not Moses, but 
the God of Israel ; for all saw plainly, that, 
although Moses smote the rock, it was God, 
and God only, who caused the water to gush 
forth. I repeat it, my brethren, there need be 
no difficulty in understanding this matter. The 
work to be accomplished is great, utterly be- 
yond the sinner's power ; but he may obtain 
help from on high. As it is written, " Let 
him take hold of my strength, that he may 
make peace with me, and he shall make 
peace with me." Isaiah xxvii. 5. And again : 
•• Fear not, I am with thee, I will help thee, 
I will strengthen thee, yea I will uphold thee 
by the right hand of my righteousness." I 
am aware that this last passage has special 
reference to the people of God who are in 
trouble, but certainly it may be quoted for the 
encouragement of all, who, sensible that they 
need help from above, are disposed to call 
upon God in sincerity and in truth ; for the 
command given to all, is this : " Seek the Lord, 
and his strength ; seek his face evermore 1" 
Psalm cv, 4. Some persons speaking on the 
subject of man's ability and inability, have 
indulged in metaphysical speculations, and 
have brought a vast amount of learned lore 
to bear upon the subject, and after all have 
only darkened counsel by words without know- 



244 ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



ledge ; and I have frequently thought that their 
account of the matter is no better than Doctor 
Johnson's definition of the term net-work : 
"Any thing reticulated or decussated with in- 
terstices at equal distances between the inter- 
sections." This is a very learned definition of 
a very simple thing ; but, although learned and 
rather hard to be understood, it is after all, I 
believe, not correct ; for, to constitute " net- 
work," it is not necessary that the reticulations 
should be at equal distances between the inter- 
sections. But to return to the doctrine of man's 
ability and inability, permit me to say, there is 
one passage of Scripture which is worth whole 
volumes of merely human composition. It is 
this : " Work out your own salvation with fear 
and trembling : for it is God which worketh in 
you both to will and to do of his good plea- 
sure." Philip, ii. 12. The idea is this : that we 
are to attend to our soul's salvation as if we 
could by our own unaided effort, accomplish 
the object in view, and at the same time rely 
upon divine aid, as if we literally could do 
nothing at all. God is ever ready to help those 
who are disposed to bestir themselves, and look 
to him for help. Let the cry of the sinner then 
be the cry of the Cyrophenician woman, " Lord, 
help me ;" or the cry of Peter sinking in the 
water, "Lord, save or I perish." All this falls 
in precisely with the language of our text : 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



245 



"Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found ; 
call ye upon him while he is near." Once 
more : 

3. You must take the sacred volume for 
your guide. It will not do to follow our own 
fancies, nor square our conduct by the rules 
which men may prescribe. No, we must, with 
the simplicity of little children, find out the 
directions which are laid down in the Scrip- 
tures of truth, and follow them. Now in the 
sacred volumes certain things are laid down as 
important, indeed as indispensable, and these 
must not be neglected. If you would seek the 
Lord and find him in the salvation of your 
souls, 

1. You must seek him in the forsaking of 
all your sins. — This is a direction which im- 
mediately follows the words of our text — "Let 
the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighte- 
ous man his thoughts : let him return unto the 
Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and 
to our God, who will abundantly pardon." Yes, 
if the sinner would be saved, he must part 
with every sin. Though dear as a right hand, 
he must cut it off; though dear as aright eye, 
he must pluck it out. Some persons, when 
awakened, are willing to part with some sins, 
but not others. There is some darling idol ; 
some beloved lust, or what the Apostle calls 
£< besetting sin," which they are not willing to 
give up i but they must give it up, for Christ 



246 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



came not to be the minister of sin, but to 
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. "His 
name shall be called Jesus," said the angel, 
" for he shall save his people from their sins." 
Mark ! shall save his people, not in their sins, 
but from their sins , and this may remind us 
of the words of the Psalmist, uttered so many 
ages since — "If I regard iniquity in my heart, 
the Lord will not hear me." Observe ! not 
merely, if he indulges sin in his life, but sin 
in his heart. I repeat it, then, there can be no 
compromise in this matter. Sin must be relin- 
quished, every sin ; yea, every sin, whether 
open or secret ; whether fashionable or un- 
fashionable ; whether gainful or the reverse ; 
whether it be in the life or only in the heart. 
Some may think this a hard requirement, but 
it is right, and it must stand. Some persons, 
as we have said, are willing to part with many 
sins, but not with all, and this holds them in 
check. They think that they are in peculiar 
circumstances, and desire some little indul- 
gence in certain matters. Concerning this and 
that favourite sin they are ready to say with 
Lot, in reference to Zoar, "O, is it not a little 
one ?" or with Naaman, in relation to a certain 
matter, "The Lord pardon thy servant in this 
thing." O these favourite, these besetting sins ! 
how hard is it to give them up ! I recollect 
a certain man — pride was his besetting sin. 
He seemed to be constitutionally proud and 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



247 



haughty. He was under serious impressions a 
long time, and it was only when he was laid 
upon a bed of sickness, and brought to the bor- 
ders of the grave, that his pride was subdued. 
I recollect another who was intemperate. He 
was a tavern-keeper. Powerfully wrought 
upon, he attended an inquiry meeting. As I 
approached to the seat which he occupied he 
rose up, and with much emotion took me by 
the hand. (I gave you the substance of our 
conversation.) " O sir," said he, "I feel that I 
am a sinner; what must I do to be saved?" 
"Sir," replied I, "you must give up your bot- 
tle." Alittle nettled, he replied, "I do not choose 
to make rash promises." "Very well," said I, 
"you may do as you please, but I tell you the 
truth; you must give up your bottle or your 
soul." He mused awhile, and finally conclud- 
ing, it seems, that his bottle was worth more 
than his soul, he "gathered up his hat and cane 
and walked out, and I saw him no more. Like 
Esau, my dear brethren, like Esau, who for 
one morsel of meat sold his birthright; and ye 
know how that afterwards, when he would 
have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, 
for he found no place for repentance, though 
he sought it carefully with tears. O these be- 
setting sins, they have ruined many ! Another 
case may be mentioned. A certain individual 
was brought under very pungent conviction. 
He cried for mercy, but for several days re- 



248 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



ceived no comfort. He had had a difficulty 
with a certain person some time before, and 
upon examining his heart, he found that he 
indulged in an unforgiving spirit. Certainly, 
it is all plain now. The Saviour says — " If ye 
forgive not men their trespasses, neither will 
your Father which is in heaven forgive you 
your trespasses." This man owed his Maker 
ten thousand talents, and was crying for for- 
giveness, and yet he himself would not forgive 
a fellow creature who owed him fifty pence ! 
Ah! my brethren, we are taught to pray — 
" Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those 
who trespass against us." When, therefore, we 
utter this petition, and do not forgive those who 
have injured us, we do virtually pray that God 
will not forgive us. Remember, God knows 
what is within us as well as what is without 
us, and the Psalmist says — "If I regard ini- 
quity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." 
But excuse me, my brethren, and I will men- 
tion yet another case illustrative of the point 
before us : — In a certain town in Virginia there 
was a revival of religion. Amongst the anxious 
who came to the meeting for inquiries on a 
certain day, was a talented young lawyer. He 
appeared to be in a very great distress of mind. 
"O, sir," exclaimed he, in agony, "must I be 
everlastingly damned?" "By no means," said 
I, "my dear sir, by no means. It is a faithful 
saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 249 

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sin- 
ners, even the chief. Believe in the Lord Jesus 
Christ and thou shalt be saved." He left the 
meeting still unrelieved. What can be the 
matter? The case was this: — He had just 
commenced the practice of the law. It was, 
with him, a favourite pursuit, and from this 
quarter he expected wealth and distinction. 
When brought under conviction, he recollected 
a prediction uttered by an aunt of his upon her 
dying bed, some time before, that he would jet 
be converted, and become a preacher of the 
gospel. Now, thought he, my aunt's predic- 
tion is coming true ; I am going now to be 
converted, and then I shall have to give up my 
profession as a lawyer and become a preacher. 
This he could not consent to — would almost 
rather be damned than become a preacher, 
Now, my brethren, observe, I do not say it is 
wrong for a young man to be a lawyer, but it 
is very wrong, very sinful, to be self-willed. 
This was the difficulty with this young man. 
He wished to have his own way ; he did not 
wish any one, not even the ever blessed God, 
to cross his path! and it was whilst in this 
frame of mind he exclaimed — "And must I be 
everlastingly damned?" A few days after- 
wards, his will being sweetly subdued, he ob- 
tained a joyful hope in Christ, and being 

asked, "Mr. B , are you willing to be a 

preacher now, if God shall so direct ?" clasp- 
22 



250 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



ing his hands, and looking with eyes stream- 
ing with tears, he said — "Any thing now! 
Blessed God, any thing now." My dear 
friends, you that are now under awakening 
influences, let me entreat you to look into 
your hearts, as well as your lives, and when 
you are told that you must seek the Lord in 
the forsaking of all your sins, O remember, I 
pray you, in connexion with it, the words of 
the Psalmist, already more than once repeat- 
ed — "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the 
Lord will not hear me." 

2. You must seek him at the right time. 
" Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, 
call ye upon him whilst he is near." Those 
guilty spirits upon whom the light of eternity 
has dawned, cannot seek him now, for their 
day of grace is past. By them God cannot 
now be found ; to them he is not near, nor 
ever will be. Their glass is run, their sun is 
set, and their souls are lost for ever. The 
living! the living! those who are on mercy's 
side of eternity — they are the ones who may 
seek the Lord, and they are to do it whilst 
yet they are in the land of hope, and whilst yet 
permitted to enjoy the means of grace, and en- 
tertain the hope of glory. But, as there is such 
a thing as seed time, and harvest time, so there 
are certain seasons more favorable than others 
for attending to the great concern, and seek- 
ing the salvation of the soul. For example, 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



251 



the period of youth is a golden season. It may 
emphatically be called an accepted time, and 
day of salvation, for as yet the heart is not 
hardened, nor the person hackneyed in the 
ways of sin. Moreover there are special pro- 
mises addressed to the young: "I love them 
that love me, and they that seek me early shall 
find me and to them a special command is 
given, " Remember now thy Creator in the 
days of thy youth, while the evil days come 
not, nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt 
say, I have no pleasure in them." Hence we 
find that an overwhelming majority of those 
who are pious are brought in, in the morning 
of life. Indeed, comparatively speaking, there 
are few soundly converted after thirty years of 
age. If any one passes the period of youth, a 
stranger to regeneration, I consider that his 
best day is over, and that his prospect for hea- 
ven is darkening horribly ! O ! my dear young 
friends, precious youth, you are the hope of 
the church. "Upon you many eyes are turned, 
and for you many prayers are offered — remem- 
ber, this is emphatically your time, and it may 
be with you, now or never! A season of re- 
vival is also a peculiarly favourable season for 
seeking the salvation of the soul. Besides di- 
vine influences coming down v as copious dews, 
and showers of rain upon a thirsty land, soft- 
ening and mellowing the soil, there are special 
advantages, and special means of grace en- 



252 ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



joyed. Religious meetings are multiplied, ser- 
mons more pungent, prayers more fervent, 
spiritual conversation more frequent, and then 
there is the rousing intelligence that this friend 
is awakened, and that converted; and who 
does not know that young converts are, usual- 
ly, not inactive? Having found the one pearl 
of great price, they greatly desire to see their 
old companions in the possession of the same 
blessing. Having experienced the grace of 
God in their own hearts, they cannot but tell 
to those around, what a dear Saviour they 
have found. With David they are inclined to 
say to every unconverted friend, " O ! taste 
and see that the Lord is good;" and as Moses 
said to Hobab, his brother-in-law, so are they 
ready to say to every dear relative, "We are 
journeying unto the place of which the Lord 
said, I will give it you: come thou, with us, 
and we will do thee good: for the Lord hath 
spoken good concerning Israel." Here are new 
means of grace enjoyed, new appeals made, 
new considerations presented. In short, all the 
scenes and circumstances of the case are emi- 
nently calculated to wake up serious thought 
in the bosom, and rouse the soul to an imme- 
diate consideration of the high claims of God 
and eternity. Surely then a season of revival 
is a precious season — it is a golden opportu- 
nity afforded for attending to the interests of 
the undying soul. In the great mercy of God 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 253 

this season you now enjoy, for right happy am 
I to say, the Lord is pouring out his Spirit 
here. Christians! the Lord has heard your 
prayers, and in answer to them he has granted 
you a season of refreshing from his presence. 
You are now in the midst of a revival ! How 
delightfully does this announcement fall upon 
the ear. Yes, I repeat it, and to God be all 
the glory ! You are now in the midst of a 
revival ! The Lord is come ! — the Lord is 
come ! " Let earth receive her king. Let every 
heart prepare him room, and heaven and na- 
ture sing !" O \ yes, let every heart prepare 
him room. O! sinner, will you not throw 
open the door of your heart and let the heaven- 
ly stranger in ? Do not, I beseech you, do not 
let this season pass unimproved. The time 
may come when you may desire to see the 
things which you now see, and shall not see 
them ; and to hear the things which you now 
hear, and shall not hear them. Yes, the time 
may come when you shall have to take up the 
dismal lamentation — I have lost my day ! — the 
harvest is past, the summer is ended, and I am 
not saved. 

Again: when the Spirit is striving, is an- 
other peculiarly favourable season for seeking 
the salvation of the soul. We may not be able 
to explain or understand how the divine Spirit 
operates upon the mind of man, but that there 
is such an operation there can be no doubt, for 
22* 



254 ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



the Scriptures affirm it, and that these opera- 
tions are more powerful at one time than an- 
other, this fact also cannot be denied ; for 
sometimes the word of God is made to burn 
upon the conscience in a very peculiar man- 
ner, and a new concern in relation to spiritual 
things, is waked up in the soul. There is a 
more realizing sense of the vanity of the world, 
of the importance of religion, than common ; 
moreover the person has a livelier sense of his 
own sinfulness and need of a Saviour, than, 
perhaps he ever had before. He begins to envy 
the lot of the pious, and wishes that he too 
were a Christian. Now, also, he takes more 
interest in attending upon the ordinances of 
God's house, and feels more inclined to read 
the Scriptures than usual. This is a blessed 
season. Now the words of the Saviour are 
peculiarly applicable, "Behold, I stand at the 
door and knock, if any man hear my voice 
and open to me, I will come in and sup with 
him, and he with me." And now this pas- 
sage of Scripture too is peculiarly appropriate, 
" To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden 
not your heart ;" and this, " Quench not the 
Spirit." This, as we have said, is truly a 
blessed season, but it is moreover a critical 
time, for sins committed in these circum- 
stances, are sins committed against more light 
and more love than ordinary, and therefore 
are peculiarly sinful. O ! are there any in this 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



255 



large and solemn assembly under the strivings 
of the Spirit ? remember you are now in pecu- 
liarly solemn circumstances. You have now 
come to the place where two seas meet. You 
may now, so to speak, be casting the die for 
eternity. At any rate God is come down, by 
his Spirit, to talk with you! yea, you have 
now a loud call from heaven — beware how you 
turn a deaf ear to it, for it may be your last! 

" Spurn not the call to life and light, 
Regard in time the warning kind ; 
That call thou may'st not always slight, 
And yet the gate of mercy find. 

God's spirit will not always strive 
With hardened, self-destroying man ; 

Ye who persist his love to grieve, 
May never hear his voice again." 

With great emphasis, then, may the lan- 
guage of our text be sounded in your ears ; 
and may it go thundering through all the 
chambers of your souls — " Seek ye the Lord 
while he may be found, call ye upon him while 
he is near." Once more, 

3. You must seek the Lord with all your 
heart. " Blessed are they that seek him with 
the whole heart," says the Psalmist; and says 
the Eternal God himself — "And ye shall seek 
me, and find me, when ye shall search for me 
with all your heart." Jer. xxix. 13. The object 
in view is a great object, and demands the whole 



256 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



soul. Some persons seek the Lord, but they 
do it with a divided heart. Antagonistic al prin- 
ciples seem to be at work within them, and 
they are drawn in different directions. Some- 
times they are greatly excited; almost per- 
suaded to be Christians, but something seems to 
hold them. They are very much like a balloon 
ready to ascend, but bound down to the earth by 
a cord ; or like a tree, undermined by the tor- 
rent, and thrown upon the bosom of the stream, 
a current is bearing strongly upon it to sweep 
it along; and yet it is not swept along! And 
why? There are some roots binding it to the 
bank. Cut the roots and then it will go, but 
so long as the roots remain uncut, so long does 
it there remain, see-sawing, notwithstanding 
the current which bears so strongly upon it. 
Just so, many a sinner undermined by the 
power of divine truth, is thrown prostrate in 
deep distress and humiliation ; a current of di- 
vine influences is bearing strongly upon him, 
to waft him to Christ and to glory, but there 
are some roots binding him to the earth. Now, 
the sinner must cut the roots. He must break 
away from all the influences of the world. He 
must give up every thing which interferes 
with his duty to his Maker. He must do it, 
or he cannot expect divine acceptance. He 
must do it, or he must lose his soul. For no 
man can serve two masters, and it is quite im- 
possible to be earthly-minded and heavenly- 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 257 

minded at the same time. I recollect making 
a remark of this kind from the desk, at a cer- 
tain place in Virginia. On coming down from 
the pulpit, a gentleman came up to me ; he 
was a lawyer of high respectability; he came 
up to me, and grasping my hand with emotion, 
said : — " Stranger, you have described my case 
exactly. Those roots, sir, those roots — they 
have almost ruined me. God helping me, I'll 
cut the roots !" I saw decision marked in his 
countenance. His mind was made up to have 
salvation, cost what it might. No wonder that 
about two days after he was rejoicing in Christ, 
and subsequently became a much valued elder 
of the church. Ah ! my brethren, it is a great 
matter to have the mind made up ; and I have 
observed that when the mind is fully made up, 
the battle is half won. Only let a person be 
in right down good earnest in seeking the sal- 
vation of his soul, and the blessing is nigh, 
even at the door. And is it not reasonable, 
when such great interests are at stake, that the 
mind should be made up ? Is it not reasona- 
ble, when nothing less than eternal life is the 
prize, that the sinner should be in good ear- 
nest. See how it is with the man who is in 
the pursuit of wealth: he leaves no stone un- 
turned to increase his golden store. And see 
the man of ambition, who pants after fame, and 
greatly desires to reach some post of honour 
and distinction. How constantly is he thinking 



258 ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



upon the subject; how diligent is he in the use 
of all means for the attainment of the object in 
view ! and if he succeed not, verily his w^ant of 
success is not to be ascribed either to a want of 
resolution or lack of effort. And when life, 
temporal life, is at stake, O what struggles, 
what determination then! For example — 
Roused from his slumbers at a midnight hour, 
a man finds his house on fire ; his determina- 
tion is to make his escape. Springing from 
his bed without delay, he rushes to the door. 
Does he find that locked ? He hurries to the 
window. Is that fastened? He cries for help, 
again rushes to the door, again to the window. 
No difficulties cause him to give over his ef- 
forts to make his escape : they only rouse him 
to still greater and more determined efforts. 
He loses no time, puts forth all his strength, 
strains every nerve, to break open the window, 
to break dowm the door, and if he perishes, it 
is whilst struggling with all his might — if he is 
consumed, it is because his most vigorous and 
determined efforts have all proved unavailing. 
O, if sinners would but be in such good ear- 
nest in seeking the salvation of their souls, 
how certainly would they attain everlasting 
life ! how certainly would a crown of glory 
rest upon their heads. But alas ! when roused 
to make some efforts, how frequently is it the 
case that these efforts are not as resolute and 
determined as they should be. They are in- 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



259 



terrupted by this thing and that. There are 
difficulties in the way, and various excuses are 
made, at the very time that the sinner should 
be crying for mercy and seeking help from on 
high. Nehemiah and his associates had great 
difficulty in building up the walls of Jerusalem, 
which had been broken down. They wrought 
with one hand, while they held a weapon in 
the other, and the result was this — by the good 
hand of God over them, they succeeded: as it 
is written — "So built we the wall, and all the 
wall was joined together unto the half thereof, 
for the people had a mind to work." Notice 
the phrase, "the people had a mind to work." 
Here was the secret of their success — their 
heart was in the matter : they were in good 
earnest in the work in which they were en- 
gaged. You have heard of the revolutionary 
struggle. Thirteen feeble colonies contended 
for independence against the mighty power of 
England. That is, the eagle of the west, 
scarcely fledged, engaged in deadly conflict 
with the lion of the east, in his full strength 
and vigour ; and, to the astonishment of the 
world, success crowned the effort, our inde- 
pendence was achieved. How? — Under God, 
by the power of resolution. 

The great secret of success may be found in 
the closing sentence of that immortal document 
denominated the Declaration of Independence. 
It is in these words : "In defence of these prin- 



260 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. 



ciples, we pledge to each other, our lives, our 
fortunes, and our sacred honour." O could we 
see this spirit of fixed and settled determination 
carried into religious matters ; could we hear 
this one and that- one saying, with the Psalmist, 
"My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed;" 
or with Joshua, "Choose you this day whom ye 
will serve — but as for me, and my house, we 
will serve the Lord." — Could this spirit but 
animate every bosom in this assembly, O what 
delightful scenes would here be presented; 
verily, the voice of joy and gratalation would 
be heard in every dwelling — we should truly 
have a pentecostal time — yea, the millennium 
in miniature — for remember, the promise is, 
Ye shall seek me, and find me when you 
search for me with all your heart. O ye who 
wish a blessing from on high, lay hold upon 
this blessed promise ; take God at his word ; 
put him upon his honour, and eternal life is 
sure ! Eternal life ! O think what a boon, what 
a prize this is ! Eternal life! what is it? Were 
I a glorified spirit, I would know it; were I an 
adoring seraph, I would feel it ; but were I a 
glorified spirit, or an adoring seraph, I could 
never, no never, describe it. It is to be rescued 
from the ruins of the fall, and restored to the 
favour of God ! It is to be delivered from the 
perils and pangs of everlasting damnation, and 
to be placed in possession of all the bliss and 
glories of an eternal world of glory! In short. 



ON SEEKING THE LORD. '261 

it is to be saved from sin, and all its conse- 
quences, and to be made unspeakably happy, 
and that for ever, and for ever ! A certain ship, 
as we are informed, was caught up by a tremen- 
dous tempest and dashed upon the rocks. The 
passengers and crew were precipitated into the 
deep ; twelve persons succeeded in getting into 
the life-boat ; one poor creature more, struggling 
in the water, swam up to the boat, laid his right 
hand upon it, and attempted to get in. But 
one within with a sword cut off his hand! (It 
was apprehended that if another was taken in, 
the boat would sink.) But what was the poor 
man to do ? There was no safety in the wreck ; 
he could not swim to land, it was far out of 
sight — the boat! the boat! he must get into 
the boat, or he must perish. Struggling des- 
perately with the rolling billows, he came up 
to the boat a second time, and grasped it with 
his left hand. That too was cut off — O poor 
creature, both hands bleeding, and death look- 
ing him in the face, what must he do? Skin 
for skin, all that a man hath will he give for his 
life. He fixed his eyes again upon the boat, he 
came up to it the third time, and grasped the 
rudder with his teeth. Pity touched the heart 
of those within, and rather than to cut off his 
head, they resolved to run the risk of all perish- 
ing together. They took him in, and his life 
was saved. O, sinner, you are shipwrecked — 
you are perishing. There is no safety for you 
23 



262 THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 

in the wreck, and you cannot swim to land ; it 
is far away — do you ask what is to be done 1 
There is a life-boat at hand; Christ is this life- 
boat — struggle, O struggle up to him — he will 
not cut off the hand wdiich you imploringly 
reach out to him ! O no! no! " His heart is 
made of tenderness — his bowels melt with 
love." — Cut off your hand ! He himself reaches 
out both of his arms to receive you ! 0 how 
ready he is to save you from perishing — how 
able and willing to save your soul ! O that this 
day may be with you the day of decision ; the 
birth-day of your precious souls ! Come, dear 
friends, every thing seems now propitious ! O 
come this day, and cast in your lot with the 
people of God, and let us all have one lot, one 
Jesus, one heaven, one home ! 



SERMON X. 

THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 

John vi. 44.— No man can come to me, except the Father, which hath 
sent me draw him. 

In the economy of redemption, my brethren, 
Jesus Christ is all, and in all! He is the hiding 
place from the wind, and without him, there is 
no* covert from the tempest ; he is the physician 
of souls, and without him, there is no spiritual 



THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 263 

cure : he is the Saviour of the lost, and without 
him, there is no salvation. Hence the unceasing 
efforts made to direct all eyes, and all hearts to 
him. John the Baptist, pointing him out to 
his disciples, exclaims, " Behold the Lamb of 
God which taketh away the sin of the world." 
"We have seen and do testify," says John the 
Apostle, "that the Father sent the Son to be 
the Saviour of the world." — " There is salvation 
in none other," says Peter. " Other founda- 
tion," says Paul, " can no man lay, than is laid, 
which is Jesus Christ." And, according to the 
testimony of the Apostle Peter, in another place, 
this great truth was well known to the Old 
Testament saints; "For," says he, "to him, 
(Jesus Christ) give all the prophets witness, 
that through him, whosoever believeth in him, 
shall receive remission of sins ;" and we must 
not forget the closing testimony of John the 
Baptist, uttered with so much solemnity, "The 
Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things 
into his hands : he that believeth on the Son, 
hath everlasting life ; and he that believeth not 
the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God 
abideth on him." — -To crown the whole, hear 
the words of the blessed Saviour himself: "I am 
the W ay, and the Truth, and the Life, and no 
man cometh unto the Father but by me." And 
again : " If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall 
die in your sins." — In the economy of redemp- 
tion, then, Christ being all in all, permit me 



264 THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 

here to make the following remarks, which I 
wish to be distinctly remembered : 

1. It is the sinner's duty to come to Christ, 
and by coming to Christ, I mean believing in 
him, resting upon him as the sinner's only 
hope. Now, we say, it is the sinner's duty to 
come to Christ Some persons seem to imagine 
it is left to their own option whether they come 
or not, but it is not so ; they are commanded to 
come, and they cannot neglect to come without 
incurring the guilt of wilful disobedience, and 
we may add, the guilt of self-destruction. Here 
is a man shut up in a house which is on fire — 
a door is thrown open, by which he may make 
his escape — is it not his duty, by that door, to 
make his escape 1 — Here is a person who is 
dying under the influence of poison received 
into the system; an effectual antidote is offered 
to him, should he reject that antidote and die ? 
is he not guilty of self-murder? But, 

2. It is the sinner's interest to come to Christ. 
It is remarkable, how beautifully and closely 
duty and interest are linked together in the 
sacred volume. We are commanded to do no- 
thing whatever which is not promotive of our 
real and best interests. This is emphatically 
the case in the matter now before us ; for if it 
be the sinner's duty to come to Christ, as we 
have shown, it is equally his interest, for there 
is not a want in the sinner, but there is a cor- 
responding fulness in the Saviour, as it is writ- 



THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 265 

ten: "It pleased the Father that in him should 
all fulness dwell."— And again: "Of his ful- 
ness," says the Apostle, "have we all received, 
and grace for grace." — I repeat it, there is not 
a want in the sinner, but there is a correspond- 
ing fulness in our blessed Redeemer. Is the 
sinner hungry? Let him come to Christ, and 
he shall be made to partake of the bread of life. 
Is the sinner thirsty? Let him come to Christ 
and he shall be permitted to drink of the wells 
of salvation. Is the sinner sick? Let him come 
to Christ and he shall have life and vigour in- 
fused into his soul. Is he naked? Let him 
come to Christ, and he shall receive a beauteous 
robe. Is he blind? Let him come to Christ, 
and he shall have his eyes open to see wondrous 
things. Is he deaf? Let him come to Christ, 
and his ears shall be unstopped to hear the 
voice of uncreated harmony speaking peace to 
his happy soul. Is the sinner burdened? Let 
him come to Christ, and his burden shall be 
taken away. Is the sinner longing for rest? 
Let him come to Christ and he shall have 
sweet repose. Is he trembling under the ap- 
prehension of future wrath? Let him come to 
Christ, and he will find that there is now, there- 
fore, no condemnation to them which are in 
Christ ; for, according to the Scriptures, "Being 
justified by faith, he shall have peace with God, 
through our Lord Jesus Christ " — Yes, no mat- 
ter what may be the sinner's wants, or woes, 
23* 



266 THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST, 

Christ is suited to his case, in all things — only? 
therefore, let him come to Christ, and he shall 
be made rich and happy throughout all time y 
and throughout all eternity. Assuredly, then, it 
is the sinner's interest to come to Christ. But, 
3. The sinner must come to Christ, or he 
must perish everlastingly. There is no mis- 
take about this matter; for if Christ, in the 
economy of redemption, be, as we have shown, 
our all in all, of course those who are without 
Christ, are without hope ; hence the language 
of the Saviour to his disciples in his last 
charge, "Go ye into all the world, and preach 
the gospel to every creature ; he that believeth 
and is baptized, shall be saved ; but he that be- 
lieveth not, shall be damned." This is certain- 
ly one of the most awful declarations found in 
all the Bible; and it assumes a character of 
peculiar interest and solemnity, when we re- 
member by whom this declaration w T as origi- 
nally made, and in what circumstances. By 
whom was this declaration originally made? 
Not by an enemy, but by a friend — the tender 
hearted Jesus — the sinner's best friend, and 
the filial Judge of all mankind. And when 
was this declaration of the Saviour made ? In 
his last interview with his disciples, just as he 
was about to ascend to heaven, there to plead 
for those for whom he had so recently shed his 
most precious blood — yes, in these peculiarly 
solemn and interesting circumstances, he said, 



THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 267 

"He that believeth and is baptized, shall be 
saved ; but he that believeth not, shall be damn- 
ed." Ah! my brethren, the case is clear — • 
Christ is the sinner's only hope, and the sin- 
ner must come to him, or perish for ever. 

4. Although it is the sinner's duty to come 
to Christ — although it is his interest to come 
to Christ, and although he must come to Christ, 
or perish everlastingly, yet such is the reign- 
ing power of sin, and such the deep depra- 
vity of the sinner's heart, and such the do- 
minion of the world, the flesh, and the devil, 
that no man can come to Christ except he be 
divinely drawn. Some stumble at this doc- 
trine, and even reject it, but this, surely, must 
be from want of due consideration, for it is cer- 
tainly both a scriptural and wholesome doc- 
trine. Scriptural: — Besides our text, which of 
itself is sufficient to establish the point, we 
find in the sacred Scriptures, numerous pas- 
sages of similar import. For example, "O 
generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, 
speak good things ?" Mat. xii. 34. " Without 
me," says the Saviour, "ye can do nothing." 
John xv. 5. And, says the Apostle Paul, 
"We are not sufficient of ourselves to think 
any thing as of ourselves." Now here you 
will observe, according to one passage, we are 
not able to say, according to another we are 
not able to do, and according to a third we are 
not able to think, any think truly acceptable, 



268 THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. * 

as of ourselves. These passages are strongly 
corroborative of our doctrine ; but there are 
others equally strong, equally conclusive, in 
relation to man's helpless and ruined condi- 
tion without divine aid. I need only remind 
you of those well known passages which speak 
of man's deplorable condition in an unrenewed 
state. Thus, "And you hath he quickened, 
who were dead in trespasses and sins." Eph. 
ii. 1. Mark, dead in trespasses and sins. Can 
one who is dead, of himself come forth out of 
his grave of corruption? Again, "The carnal 
mind is enmity against God, for it is not sub- 
ject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." 
Rom. viii. 7. How can the sinner of himself 
convert a heart of enmity into a heart of love? 
Again, "The heart of the sons of men is fully 
set in them to do evil." Eccl. viii. 11. The 
current of the ocean you cannot resist, nor the 
strong current of a depraved soul. But why 
multiply passages of Scripture. The doctrine 
of the sinner's total depravity and helplessness, 
is taught in every part of the sacred volume, 
and is taken for granted in such passages as 
these : u O Israel, thou hast destroyed thy- 
self." "Ye are his workmanship, created in 
Christ Jesus:"— and, "Except a man be born 
again he cannot see the kingdom of 'God." 
The doctrine then which we advocate, touch- 
ing the helplessness of the sinner, in his unre- 
newed state, is certainly a scriptural doctrine. 



THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 269 

and God forbid that we should attempt to ex- 
plain away our text, which so clearly presents 
the doctrine. 

But we said that the doctrine was not only 
scriptural, but a wholesome doctrine. Yes, it 
is the very one which breaks down the pride 
of the sinner's heart — which causes him to feel 
that he lies at the mercy of God — and the very 
thing which, humbling the loftiness and self- 
sufficiency of his soul, prepares him, and in- 
clines him more earnestly to seek, and more 
highly to prize help from on high. And I 
have noticed that the sinner never will come 
to Christ until he finds that he cannot save 
himself — never will come to Christ until he 
finds that he must, positively must, or perish. 
This is human nature, as it maybe seen illus- 
trated in other things. 

Here is a man walking along the streets, who 
is dwelling with great complacency upon, the 
thought that he is worth a million of dollars. 
One steps up to him and says — "I understand 
that you owe Mr. A. B. a thousand dollars, and 
he purposes to exact payment. I am very sorry 
for you, sir, and am willing to pay the amount." 
"What do you mean, sir," replies the million- 
aire. " Suppose I owe a thousand dollars, I can 
pay my own debts. Reserve your benevolence 
for those who may need it." But now, sup- 
pose this rich man were a poor man ; and sup- 
pose, utterly unable to pay his debts, he were 



270 THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 

pressed by the sheriff for a claim of a thousand 
dollars, and the amount he must pay, or be im- 
prisoned. Now, if in these circumstances one 
who was able and willing to relieve him should 
kindly offer to pay the amount — "O, sir," me- 
thinks he would say, " How could I expect 
such a favour?" And when assured that it 
was done with great cheerfulness, how thank- 
fully would he accept the kind offer, and say — 
"This is kindness indeed ! O, sir, I owe you a 
thousand thanks ! I want words to express my 
sense of the great obligations I am under to 
you." The application you understand. Whilst 
the sinner, in the pride of his heart, imagines 
that he is rich, and increased in goods, and has 
need of nothing, he undervalues the provisions 
of gospel grace — rejects the Saviour; but only 
let him be brought to feel that he owes a thou- 
sand talents and has nothing to pay ; let him be 
made sensible that, spiritually, he is wretched 
and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked, 
and oh ! then, how welcome are the provisions 
of gospel grace, and how dear is the Saviour 
of lost sinners! This is the very idea pre- 
sented by Christ himself: — "The whole have 
no need of a physician," says he, " but they 
that are sick." I came not to call the righteous, 
but sinners to repentance. Here is a man who 
has fallen over a precipice. By his fall he is 
stunned, and has a limb dislocated. Coming 
to himself, he finds that he is in an evil case. 



THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 271 

The first thought is to rise up and walk away. 
He accordingly makes the attempt ; but a limb 
is dislocated, and he sinks down to the earth. 
He is more sensible of the evil of his case, but 
the spirit of the man is in him, and he yet, it 
may be, calls for no help. He makes another 
effort, more vigorous than the first; his limb 
again gives way, and down he sinks. We will 
suppose, now, it is bitter cold ; it is snowing 
fast, and the shades of night are drawing on. 
It flashes upon him — if no one comes to his 
relief, there he must perish : that spot will be 
his grave, and the falling snow will be his 
winding-sheet. Now, at last, urged by the ne- 
cessity of the case, he cries for help, aye, loudly 
and earnestly does he now cry for help. Ob- 
serve, whilst he thought he could help himself, 
he called for none ; but a full sense of his misera- 
ble and helpless condition makes him now heart- 
ily willing to accept aid from any one who can 
relieve him. So it is with the sinner ; whilst he 
imagines that his own arm is strong enough, 
he is not disposed to lean upon the arm of an- 
other, and while he thinks he can save himself, 
he is not likely to prize a Saviour ; hence the 
doctrine which teaches him that he is a poor, 
helpless sinner, and that he lies at the mercy 
of God, is a wholesome doctrine. It is this 
which humbles the pride of the sinner's heart, 
and which best disposes him to cry with the 
Syrophenician woman — " Lord, help me !" and 



272 THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 

with Peter, sinking in the wave, " Lord, save, 
or I perish." 

And now, let us pause and contemplate the 
helpless and deplorable condition of the sin- 
ner, as one lying low in the ruins of the fall. 
He is under the reigning power of sin, and he 
cannot break the reigning power of sin. He 
is under the curse of God's righteous law, and 
he cannot roll away the curse of the law. His 
soul is unfit for heaven, and he cannot make it 
fit ; — he is bound over to wrath, and he cannot 
help himself. Aye, he is in a state of nature 
and of sin, and his heart must be changed or 
he can never be saved ; and of himself he can 
no more change his own heart than he can roll 
a mountain or heave an ocean. Yes, I repeat 
it, although it is the sinner's duty and interest 
to come to Christ — and although he must come 
or perish everlastingly, yet such is the deep 
depravity of the sinner's heart — such the reign- 
ing power of sin in his bosom, and such the 
dominion of the world, the flesh, and the devil, 
that no man can come to Christ, except he be 
divinely drawn. O ! sinner, believe me, you 
are lost, ruined, and undone ! You lie com- 
pletely at the mercy of God! and you had bet- 
ter suffer the tortures of martyrdom than do 
the slightest thing to offend your Maker. 
Hence the language of the Apostle, "Quench 
not the Spirit." But some one may say, 
The doctrine of the sinner's helplessness, as 



THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST, 273 

stated, destroys all human responsibility. Not 
so — we insist upon it, if he perishes, it is his 
own fault. I will explain myself. You are a 
master ; you write a letter, and handing it to 
your servant, you direct him to take it to a 
certain person on the other side of the river, 
and bring you back an answer. After a while 
he returns, and you ask him, Did you take 
the letter over the river as I directed you? 
No, sir. And why? Master, I could not. 
And why could you not? Why, master, I 
went to the river ; it was deep and rapid, and 
there was. no bridge, and I could not swim> 
so I did not go over. Did you call for the 
ferryman? No, sir. Then go immediately 
back, and take the letter over, as I commanded 
you. Now this, I think, is a correct illustra- 
tion. There is something about the passing 
of that river which the servant cannot do, no 
more than he can roll a mountain, or heave an 
ocean, and yet you do not excuse him. Even 
so in this matter. The sinner is utterly un- 
able to come to Christ, or change his own 
heart of himself There is, so to speak, a 
broad and deep river between him and heaven, 
and the sinner cannot swim ; but, thank God, 
there is, if I may so "express myself, a heaven- 
ly ferryman on the other side. Let him call 
upon that ferryman— as it is written, " Seek ye 
the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon 
him while he is near." And this reminds me 
24 



274 THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 

of a remarkable passage in Scripture, "Let 
him take hold of my strength, that he may 
make peace with me, and he shall make peace 
with me." Isa. xxvii. 5. Moreover, it falls in 
precisely with this language of the Eternal 
God, " O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, 
but in me is thine help." Hos. xiii. 9. But 
this leads to my last general remark. 

5. There is a divine drawing; and, thank 
God, the doctrine of divine drawing is as clear- 
ly revealed as the doctrine of man's helpless 
and ruined condition by nature. In the sacred 
volume they are linked together, and what 
God has joined together let no man put asun- 
der. "No man," says the Saviour, "can come 
to me except the Father which hath sent me 
draw him." This language clearly implies 
that there is such a thing as divine drawing. 
We may not be able to understand the opera- 
tion fully, and I believe that a person may be 
under this system of divine drawing without 
being fully conscious of it, for oftentimes the 
influences of the Spirit are as gentle as the 
dew. There is such a thing as a still small 
voice, as well as the strong wind-which rends 
the mountains — and the earthquake and the 
fire. Therefore, although we may not be able 
to explain the mode of the divine operation, 
or even recognize it in every case, yet as a 
fact, or doctrine taught in the Bible, there can 
be no doubt, "Draw me," says the spouse, 
in the song of Solomon, "Draw me, and we 



THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 275 

will run after thee." " I have loved you with 
an everlasting love;" says God, in the book 
of Jeremiah, " therefore with loving kindnesses 
have I drawn thee." "And I," says the Sa- 
viour, "if I be lifted up from the earth, will 
draw all men unto me ;" — and in Hosea we 
find this language, " I drew them with cords 
of a man, with bands of love." 

There are various kinds of drawing, both 
with God and man : and objects are usually 
drawn in modes and forms suited to the na- 
ture of the object drawn. When a log is to be 
drawn to a certain place, a chain is fastened to 
it, and by the application of physical force, it 
is drawn to the place intended. I hold in my 
hand a leaden ball, I let it go, and it falls to the 
ground, drawn by the power of gravitation, 
drawn by the operation of a certain law im- 
pressed upon inanimate matter by the Creator. 
Again : This earth moves round the sun once 
in every twelve months ; and how is this ac- 
complished? It is drawn around, in its orbit, 
by the joint action of two forces, the centripetal 
and centrifugal. Thus, we see, that inanimate 
objects are moved, or drawn, by the application 
of physical force, and the operation of certain 
general laws of nature. But man is not inani- 
mate matter ; he is a moral and intellectual 
being ; he has a mind, a will, a conscience, and 
a heart, and he is drawn by another set of 
means and instrumentalities ; he has an under- 



276 THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 

standing, and he can feel the power of an argu- 
ment; he has a conscience, and he can feel the 
force of an appeal ; moreover, he has certain 
affections and sensibilities, and these can be 
wrought upon in various ways ; and hence it is 
written, " I drew them with cords of a man, 
with bands of love." I have seen men going 
from one place to another, and even hastening 
to distant and sickly climes, drawn by a love of 
gain. I have seen wives following their hus- 
bands, as it were, all the world over, drawn by 
affection and a sense of duty ; and I have seen 
persons hurrying away to the post of danger — 
braving the fury and storm of battle, led on by 
patriotism, and sometimes purely by ambition, 
or a desire to twine laurels around their brow. 
Here is a crowd gathered together in the house 
of God this day — no physical force was applied, 
and yet, here they are, drawn as effectually as 
if some irresistible physical force had been 
brought to bear upon them. Some drawn by 
a sense of duty, to worship God. Some drawn 
by curiosity — they heard that there was a reli- 
gious excitement in the place, a revival of reli- 
gion — and, moreover, that a stranger was ex- 
pected to preach. Their curiosity was excited, 
and it has succeeded in bringing- them here ! — 
And some are present, drawn, as I hope, by a 
secret desire to receive spiritual benefit. They 
have been, it may be, under serious impressions 
for a long time. They desire the salvation of 



THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 277 

their souls, and having heard that, within a few 
days past, several persons have been hopefully 
converted here, they have come, if peradven- 
ture, they may receive the same blessing. Well, 
they are here, and as effectually drawn as the 
log spoken of, or the leaden ball to the surface 
of the earth by the power of gravitation, or the 
earth around the sun by the action of the two 
forces already mentioned. Each object drawn, 
according to its own nature, and in its own 
way. There is a case of divine drawing in the 
Scriptures which furnishes a good illustration 
of the case before us — I refer to the case of the 
patriarch Jacob, drawn down into Egypt. If, 
when quietly and pleasantly settled in the land 
of Canaan, some one had said, Jacob, you must 
go down into Egypt, methinks he would have 
promptly said, Not I! — Here are my posses- 
sions ; my flocks and my herds ; my children 
and my grand-children, are also with me ; and 
here, too, is the grave of Machpelah ; here 
will I live and die, and here will I be gathered 
unto my fathers. And yet, after all, he went 
down into Egypt, and sojourned there, and 
died there — and no violence was done to his 
will. And how was this brought about ? By 
a remarkable chain of providences. The pa- 
triarch had twelve sons — one, named Joseph, 
was loved more than they all ; and the patriarch 
made him a coat of many colours, and his bre- 
thren envied him, and could not speak peace- 
24* 



278 THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 

ably unto him ; and Joseph dreamed certain 
dreams, and told them nnto his brethren, and 
they hated him still more on account of his 
dreams ; — and they conspired against him, and 
sold him to certain Midianite merchantmen, 
who carried him down into Egypt; and there, 
after many wonderful events, Joseph was made 
governor over all the land of Egypt, — and there 
was a famine in the land, and it spread far and 
wide, and reached the land of Canaan where 
Jacob was. Hearing that there was corn in 
Egypt, he sent his sons down into Egypt to 
obtain supplies — again he sent them, and when 
they returned the second time, they brought 
strange tidings to the patriarch's ears, saying, 
" Thy son Joseph is alive, and he is governor 
over all the land of Egypt!" And Jacob's 
heart fainted, for he believed them not ; and 
they told him all the words of Joseph, which 
he had said unto them ; and when he saw the 
wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, 
the spirit of Jacob their father revived, and 
Israel said, It is enough, Joseph my son is yet 
alive, I will go and see him before I die. And 
accordingly he hastened and went down into 
Egypt ; and sure I am, no violence was done 
to his will. He never went to any place more 
cheerfully in all his life ; and, verily, nothing 
but chains, and strong chains, could have pre- 
vented him from going down into Egypt ! A 
powerful magnet was there ! The patriarch's 



THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 279 

long-lost, beloved Joseph was there, and his 
heart yearned toward his darling child. He 
longed to see and embrace him once more ; all 
his reluctance to going down into Egypt is re- 
moved, and he is fully set upon going now. 
And Israel said, "It is enough, Joseph my son 
is yet alive, I will go and see him before I die.' y 
Thus, without any violence done to his will, he 
was drawn down into Egypt with cords of a 
man, with bands of love. And thus sinners are 
drawn to Christ. They are, it may be, in the 
midst of worldly enjoyments and possessions, 
and are quietly settled upon their lees. They 
have no concern about their souls, nor thought 
of eternity. In the midst of these scenes of 
worldly contentment, there comes a famine in 
the land; afflictions come, heavy, grievous 
afflictions come ; they meet with this loss, and 
that disappointment ; this darling child is taken 
away, and that beloved companion is laid in 
the grave. Ah! the world now begins to lose 
its charm, and earthly sources of enjoyment are 
drying up, this child of affliction is brought to 
see the vanity of the world, the emptiness and 
insufficiency of all things here below, and the 
importance of securing a portion better than 
any thing the world can give. In these cir- 
cumstances, the soul, by the power of the 
spirit, is waked up to the high claims of God 
and eternity ; and thus, affliction is made in- 
strumental in drawing the soul away from the 



280 THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 

vanities of the world, and causing it to rest 
upon Christ as the source of all consolation, 
and all hope. O how many in this way have 
sought comfort in religion, and in religion have 
found it ! "It is good forme," says the Psalmist^ 
" that I have been afflicted ; for, before I was 
afflicted, I went astray, but now have I kept 
thy law." The famine in the land of Canaan 
was sore, but it brought about the joy of meet- 
ing with Joseph, which joy the patriarch would 
probably never have had on earth, had there 
been no famine in the land. So some are by 
affliction brought to Christ, and made happy in 
his love, who, without such affliction, had in 
all probability perished in their sin. O how 
many in the bright realms of bliss, will, upon 
reviewing the scenes of this lower state, ex- 
claim with gratitude and joy, u Sweet afflic- 
tion! blessed affliction! which weaned my 
heart from the world, and led me to my Sa- 
viour and my God !" 

But other means are also made effectual by 
the spirit of God in bringing about the same 
blessed result. The sinner, perhaps by the in- 
strumentality of some awakening sermon, or 
some religious book, or some friendly letter, or 
some zealous friend, or it maybe, some sacra- 
mental or death-bed scene, is brought, like the 
Psalmist, to think upon his ways, and turn his 
feet to the divine testimonies. His understand- 
ing is enlightened, and he is brought to see the 



THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 281 

reasonableness of the claims of his Maker, and 
the value of his own soul. His conscience is 
troubled, and he is brought to see that he is a 
sinner, and justly condemned by God's righ- 
teous law. Moreover, he has a heart, and ap- 
peals have been made to it, drawn from the 
goodness of God, shown in ten thousand things, 
and the love of Christ in dying for our lost and 
ruined race. And, it may be, the law has 
spoken out its terrors in thunder to the soul. 
In short, arguments, appeals, motives, and con- 
siderations of various kinds, are brought to 
bear upon the man with great power. The 
more he thinks, the more anxious he becomes. 
He sees that he has sinned against a holy God ; 
that he has broken God's righteous law, and 
has incurred its dreadful penalty; that he can 
make no atonement for his sins ; and that, with- 
out a Saviour, he must perish for ever. In these 
circumstances, Christ is held out to him, in the 
gospel, as one who is both able and willing to 
save all that will come unto him. Light flows 
in upon the sinner's mind, his heart is touched 
by the Spirit of God, his will is subdued, and 
he is both persuaded and enabled to embrace 
Jesus Christ as he is freely offered in the gos- 
pel. No violence is done to the sinner's will. 
Interest, duty, love, all lead him to the feet of 
his blessed Saviour, whilst he cries out — 
"Lord, save, or I perish!" — "Here, Lord, I 
give myself away, 'tis all that I can do." Or, 



282 THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 

"Welcome, welcome, dear Redeemer, 
Welcome to this heart of mine ; 
Lord, I make a full surrender, 

Every power and thought be thine, 

Thine entirely — 
Through eternal ages thine." 

Thus the sinner is drawn, sweetly, power- 
fully, effectually drawn to Christ. And, so 
far from any violence having been done to his 
will, his whole heart is in the matter. He goes 
to Christ as freely, and cheerfully, and joy- 
fully, as a hungry man goes to a banquet, or 
a thirsty man to a pool of water; or rather, 
as the man-slayer into the city of refuge — or 
he that is exposed to the peltings of a pitiless 
storm enters a place of shelter. 

And now, my dear, unconverted friends, for- 
get not the things which you have heard this 
evening. Remember, it is your duty to come 
to Christ ; it is your interest to come to Christ ; 
and you absolutely must come to Christ, or you 
must perish for ever. And 0 ! remember that 
whilst these things are so, yet, such is the deep 
depravity of the sinner's heart, and such the 
reigning power of sin, and such the dominion 
of the world, the flesh, and the devil, that no 
man can come to Christ unless he be divinely 
drawn. O, you who are now under divine in- 
fluences — you who are under conviction of sin, 
and tremble for the salvation of your souls — 
and you who are sensible that the world can- 



THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST. 283 

not make you happy, and who sigh for some- 
thing better than the world can give, remember 
you are now under the influence of a divine 
drawing; beware how you fight against your 
convictions ; beware how you trifle with your 
serious impressions ; beware how you resist 
these heavenly drawings, lest they cease, and 
you be left to yourselves — and what then % 
Your case becomes hopeless ! you are lost to 
all eternity ! O, quench not the Spirit ! Be- 
ware, lest, grieving the Spirit, he cease to 
move upon your heart, and you become har- 
dened. And O, think, what it is to be hardened ! 
It is to have all the moral and religious sensi- 
bilities of the soul deadened. It is to become 
reckless and unconcerned. It is to be habitually 
in such a frame of mind that there are no com- 
punctions for the past — no apprehensions for 
the future ; — deaf to all the calls of mercy, 
stupid under all the means of grace. It is to 
be habitually in such a frame of mind, that all 
promises and threatenings are alike disre- 
garded, and all motives and appeals equally 
unavailing. As the dead man feels not the 
burning of the coal lodged in his bosom, nor 
the flinty rock the softening influences of the 
showers of heaven, even so it is with him 
whose heart is hardened. He may be in the 
sanctuary, but the most pungent discourses 
make no impression. He may witness sacra- 
mental scenes, but they inspire no solemnity — 



284 THE DUTY OF COMING TO CHRIST, 



even funeral rites and the burial of the dead 
affect him not. Spread before him the glories 
of heaven, and he is not allured ; point him to 
the torments of the damned, and he is not 
alarmed. Lead him to Calvary, and talk to 
him about the love of Jesus and his dying 
agonies, and he is as insensible as steeL 
Friends may intreat, but he heeds not ; min- 
isters may warn, but he repents not. Others 
may feel, but he feels not ; others may weep, 
but he weeps not. He is hard as rock ; or 
say, 

« . Some alarming shock of fate 

Strikes through his wounded heart, 

The sudden dread ! another moment, and alas ! 

where past the shaft no trace is found, 

As from the wing no scar the sky retains, 
The parted wave, no furrow from the keel. 1 ' 

The rock may be rived, but it is rock still. 
It may be broken into a thousand fragments, 
but there is no softening yet ; and so it is with 
the sinner, when the drawings of heaven re- 
sisted, and the Spirit quenched, the sinner is 
left to himself and becomes incorrigible and 
hardened — past feeling and past hope ! Let 
me be poor, let me be a bondman, let me be a 
beggar, but let me not, given up of the Spirit, 
be a hardened sinner ! O my God, cast me not 
away from thy presence, neither take thine 
holy Spirit from me. Fellow sinner, take care 
what you do just now. You are in solemn cir- 



THE DUTY OF COMING TO CBTUST. 285 



cumstances, and great interests are at stake \ 
Many of you are under the influence of divine 
drawings now, and some, perhaps, who are not 
fully aware of it. O remember 

" God's spirit will not always strive 
With hardened self-destroying men ; 
You who persist his love to grieve 
May never hear his voice again 1" 

O ! then, let me exhort you, one and all, td 
make light of sacred things no more. They 
are too serious to be trifled with. Heaven and 
hell — eternal life and eternal death! What 
more rousing themes can be presented to the 
mind of man % O ! if any of you have never 
yet come to Christ, let me entreat you to come 
this day — -put off the great concern no longer. 
It is dangerous to delay. Your day of grace 
may close when you least expect it. Only 
one sin more, and the sentence may go forth 
against you, "Ephraim is joined to his idols, 
let him alone !" Yes, only one sin more and 
divine drawings, in your case, may cease for 
ever! Here is a beam extending over a pre- 
cipice, a man may take several steps upon that 
beam, but there is one point upon which, if 
he steps, he is gone ! A cord may sustain a 
certain weight — add one ounce to that weight 
and the cord breaks ! O ! then, beware how 
you take another step in the road to death \ 
beware how you add another sin to those 
25 



286 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



already committed ! and beware how yon slight 
this, which may be yonr last — last call ! Fel- 
low man, eternity is at the door. Yon need 
a Savionr. There are influences now in ope- 
ration to draw yon to this Savionr. For hea- 
ven's sake — for your dear soul's sake, resist 
not these influences. O ! yield, and may you 
this day find Christ precious to yonr soul — 
even the chiefest among ten thousand, and the 
one altogether lovely. Amen. 



SERMON XI. 

VAIN EXCUSES. 

Luke xiv. 18. — And they all with one consent began to make 
excuse. 

Why, my brethren, are there so few real Chris- 
tians amongst ns ? The fact I assume, for I 
suppose it will not be denied. Should the 
angel of death pass through the length and 
breadth of our land, and sweep into the grave 
all the careless, and all the prayerless, and re- 
turn and sweep into the grave all the intempe- 
rate and all the profane ; and return and take 
away every scoffer, and every hypocrite — and 
return, in short, and take away every impeni- 
tent and unrenewed sinner, what silence would 
reign in our streets! what solitude would exist 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



287 



in our dwellings! and how thin would be this 
congregation? Why this? — why so few real 
Christians? Doubtless there are many reasons, 
such as pride, worldly-mindedness, and a want 
of thought ; but certainly one reason is this, a 
self-justifying spirit, prompting the impenitent 
to make vain excuses. This morning I design 
to examine some of the excuses which are com- 
monly urged by the unconverted, for neglecting 
to obey the gospel call. Before I take them up, 
however, I would observe, that there is a gene- 
ral evidence against their soundness, arising 
from some remarkable circumstances : — their 
number — their easy relinquishment — and the 
representation which our Saviour gives of them 
in the parable whence we have derived our 
text. Their number: When a person is asked 
to do a thing, which he does not choose to do, 
and yet desires to keep up fair appearances, he 
is very apt to make a great many excuses, as if 
he would make up in number what is wanting 
in the value of his excuses. Precisely so with 
regard to the sinner : Here is an unconverted 
man, and I say to him, My dear sir, I am aston- 
ished that a man of your good sense, should 
neglect the salvation of your soul. Certainly 
you must admit it to be a matter of great im- 
portance, why then do you neglect it ? He 
makes one excuse ; before he allows me time to 
meet that excuse, he abondons it for another, 
and that for another ; and thus he goes on, re- 



288 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



treating, through the whole round of his ex- 
cuses. This, I say, is a very suspicious cir- 
cumstance : if that man had a single excuse, 
which he really believed to be substantial, 
would he not hold it fast? but not having any 
in which he has much confidence, he adds one 
to another, as if, as already said, he would make 
up in number what is wanting in the value of 
his excuses. Again : Here is another man, he 
has twenty reasons for neglecting to obey the 
gospel call. Let some alarming disease seize 
upon him, and he forgets one half of them — let 
death look him in the face, he forgets the other 
half! O, these shadowy excuses ! If they can- 
not stand in the presence of disease and death, 
how can they stand in the presence of the final 
judge of all mankind? 

But the representation which our Saviour 
gives of them, is conclusive against the sound- 
ness of all the sinner's excuses : a certain man, 
says he, made a great supper, and sent his ser- 
vant, at supper time, to say to them that were 
bidden, " Come, for all things are now ready : 
and they all, with one consent began to make 
excuse." And pray, what were these excuses ? 
" The first said, I have bought apiece of ground, 
and I must needs go and see it ; I pray thee 
have me excused." Observe ! He was invited 
to come at supper time ! Now supper-time, I 
should think rather an indifferent time to see the 
ground! and yet no time but supper-time will 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



289 



suit him to see the ground ! " And another said, 
I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to 
prove them; I pray thee, have me excused." 
Now, if he had bought the oxen, the bargain 
was closed — at any rate, any planter, any man, 
in his senses, knows full well, that supper-time 
is not the best time to prove oxen — yet no time 
can he fix upon to prove these oxen but supper 
time ! " And another said, I have married a wife, 
and therefore I cannot come." Where was the 
man invited to go ? To a funeral ? No ! To hear 
a dull lecture ? No ! Where then? To a feast ! — ■ 
and where could a new-married couple go with 
greater propriety, than to a feast ? And yet 
this is his excuse — " I have married a wife, and 
therefore I cannot come." This is a very re- 
markable parable. It was uttered by our Lord, 
who knew what was in man ; and knew, full 
well, how to represent the true character of the 
sinner's excuses, and here he does it to the life 
and admiration, in this truly remarkable para- 
ble. And now, God helping me, I will en- 
deavour this morning, to show that the excuses 
commonly urged by the sinner for neglecting 
to obey the gospel call, are not a whit better 
than they are represented to be in this, as I 
have said, truly remarkable parable. 

1. The Bible is so full of mystery I can- 
not understand it. — The Bible so full of mys- 
tery ! Just as if the Bible was nothing in the 
25* 



290 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



world but a bundle of riddles ! No plain doc- 
trine, no plain precept, no plain promise, no 
plain threatening — nothing plain! Is this in- 
genuous? Is this true? The Bible says — "Ex- 
cept ye repent, je shall all likewise perish." 
Is not this plain? The Bible says — "He that 
believeth not shall be damned." Would the 
sinner wish any thing plainer than this ? The 
Bible says — It is a faithful saying, and wor- 
thy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came 
into the world to save sinners, even the chief 
of sinners. Now this is not only remarkably 
beautiful, it is remarkably plain. Even the 
child of six years of age, can understand it 
perfectly well, and yet the man says, the Bi- 
ble is so full of mystery I cannot understand 
it! Ah! we all see it clearly. It amounts to 
this: I have bought a piece of ground, and I 
must needs go and see it at supper-time. But 
another comes forward with this excuse, 

2. Religion is a gloomy thing, it has no 
charms for me.— Thank God, there are many, 
both in heaven and earth, who think very 
differently. I never heard that religion ever 
abridged one's happiness in health, or sadden- 
ed one's heart in sickness, or lay heavy upon 
one's soul in death. But I think that I have 
heard that the want of religion extorted a cry 
of agony from the dying sinner. Religion a 
gloomy thing ! — has no charms for you ! Look 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



291 



at the young convert, how his eyes sparkle I 
how every feature beams with joy ! Hark, 
how his tongue breaks out in songs of praise : 

" When God revealed his gracious name, 
And changed my mournful state, 
My rapture seemed a pleasing dream 
The grace appeared so great ! 

Great is the work my neighbours cried, 

And owned the power divine; 
Great is the work my heart replied. 

And be the glory thine !" 

But suppose there be no rapture, the young 
convert has a sweet complacency in Christ — a 
heavenly calm, and the peace of God, which 
passeth all understanding, and which he would 
not exchange for " all that the world calls good 
or great." It must be so, for what does reli- 
gion do for us? It gives us a scriptural as- 
surance that our sins are all forgiven for Je- 
sus' sake. Is there any thing in this to sad- 
den the heart? It gives us the scriptural 
assurance that the great God of the universe 
is our reconciled God and Father in Christ. 
Is there any thing in this to damp the warm 
feelings of the soul ? It gives us, moreover, 
the blessed assurance that heaven is our home ; 
that angels are to be our future companions ; 
nay, that we ourselves are to be as angels in 
the world to come. I confess I can see nothing 
in this to sink the spirits, or spread any thing 



292 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



like gloom over the mind. Ah ! but you say, 
If I become a Christian I shall have to give 
up all the pleasures of the world. You are 
called upon to give up no pleasures that are 
really innocent ; and can you wish to indulge 
in those which are not? Here also it must be 
remembered, that true religion is a renovating 
principle. It changes the heart — the whole 
current of the soul, so that a person even in 
fashionable life, or in the full indulgence of sin 
of any kind, when soundly converted, can give 
up sinful pleasures without a sigh, and take 
up religious duties with real joy ; for, says the 
Saviour, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is 
light." And again, " There is no man that 
hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or 
wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's 
sake, who shall not receive manifold more in 
this present time, and in the world to come 
life everlasting." So that, in relation to real 
pleasure, as well as in relation to other mat- 
ters, it may truly be said, " Godliness is pro- 
fitable unto all things, having promise of the 
life which now is, and of that which is to 
come." Yes, it is even so, and the verdict of 
thousands and millions, is this — 

" 'Tis religion that must give 
Sweetest pleasure whilst we live : 
'Tis religion must supply 
Solid comfort when we die." 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



293 



O, worldlings! believe me, you are wrong. 
You are seeking happiness in the world. It is 
but a beggarly portion for an immortal soul. 
Has it ever yet made you happy? No ! and 
it never will, it never can. And let these words 
sink down into your ears — you will never know 
what true happiness is until you are converted, 
and, if never converted, you will never know 
it, world without end. But suppose that reli- 
gion did make one sad and gloomy on earth 
(which we utterly deny), would it not be bet- 
ter, after all, to be a sad and gloomy child of 
God than a thoughtless and merry child of the 
devil? Would it not be better to go to heaven 
in a thorny way, than to go to hell in a way 
all strewed with flowers ? Then what becomes 
of the second excuse? It amounts to this — I 
have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to 
prove them at supper time. 

3. A third excuse is this: If I am elected to 
be saved I shall be saved, do what I will, and 
if not, I cannot, do what I may. This is the 
sheet-anchor of many, their strong-hold, that 
upon which they are disposed to rest with more 
confidence perhaps than any other ; and after 
all, if I mistake not, it amounts to this : I have 
married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 
It is but an excuse, and not good, for two rea- 
sons — (1.) Because it involves an absurdity ; 
and, (2.) Because it is not acted upon in cases 
exactly similar. 



294 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



(1.) It involves an absurdity, for it amounts 
to this : What is to come to pass will come to 
pass, whether we have any agency in the mat- 
ter or not. Now the absurdity lies here — it 
supposes the accomplishment of an event, with- 
out the very means by which the event is to be 
accomplished. As if I should say, If I am to 
go to London, why, certainly, I shall go to 
London, whether I embark on board of a vessel 
or not ; or, if we are to have a pleasant day to- 
morrow, assuredly we shall have a pleasant day 
to-morrow, whether the sun rises or not. Ab- 
surdity, you perceive, is stamped upon the face 
of the thing. Those who reach London, must 
pass over the ocean, and if there be a pleasant 
day to-morrow, the sun must rise. So those 
who are elected to everlasting salvation, as the 
e nd, must be prepared for it by the sanctiflca- 
tion of the Spirit, and belief of the truth as the 
necessary means for the attainment of that end. 
God has connected the end and the means, and 
what God hath joined together, let not man 
put asunder. 

(2.) The excuse urged is not a good one, be- 
cause it is not acted upon in cases very similar. 
Does this planter say — If I am to have a crop 
this year, I shall have a crop this year, whether 
I cultivate my grounds or not ? I suspect he 
does not say this. Does this other man say — 
If I am to be rich, I shall be rich whether I 
make any effort or not? Certainly he does 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



295 



not say so. Does this sick man say — If I am 
to get well, I shall get well whether I take any 
medicine or not? 0 no ! he does not say so, 
and yet all these might say so, for I have heard 
of grounds producing crops without any culti- 
vation; and I have heard of persons becoming 
rich without any effort. Aye, and I have heard 
of sick persons getting well without any medi- 
cine, but never have I heard of man or woman 
finding the straight gate without seeking it, or 
getting into the narrow way without effort. 
And here I would remark, that there is a pass- 
age of Scripture just in point. Job, speaking 
of man's temporal life, or the life of his body, 
says — " His days are determined, the number of 
his months are with thee ; thou hast appointed 
his bounds that he cannot pass." Job. xiv. 5. 
Here we are taught that the life of man is in 
God's hand ; that according to the divine pur- 
pose, some die young, and some are elected to 
old age. In this matter God acts as a sovereign 
God, and so also in the other case, and 

" Not Gabriel asks the reason why, 
Nor God the reason gives." 

And what then, does the sick man say? My 
days are determined, I will send for no physi- 
cian; the number of my months is with him; 
I will take no medicine ; he has appointed the 
bounds of my life, that I cannot pass, I will 
therefore do nothing ; if I am to die of this 



296 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



disease, I must die, do what I will; and if not, 
I cannot, do what I may. Does he say this ? 
No ! he does not, but rather he reasons thus : 
I know that God, as an infinite being, must 
know all things, and of course must know the 
days of my death; but I know also, and I have 
frequently observed, that there is a connexion 
between the means and the end — I have seen 
persons dying, evidently for want of medical 
aid, and I have seen some persons at the point 
of death, restored to health, evidently by medi- 
cal skill. This is enough for me ; secret things 
belong unto God. I see that in all things there 
is a manifest and close connexion bet ween the 
means and the end. This is sufficient. — Now 
this is all perfectly rational and right in the one 
case, why should it not be acted upon in the 
other. The grand reason I suspect is this : The 
sinner had rather cavil, than repent — much 
rather make excuse, than give up sin. But 
while I am upon the subject of election, or the 
decrees of God, take a Jewish story: — " Rabbi 
Hillel sat in the chair of Moses ; his fame for 
wisdom and sanctity was spread far and wide. 
If the Messiah were known to be upon the 
earth, Rabbi Hillel would have been taken for 
the Messiah ; but every man at his best estate 
is altogether vanity. Rabbi Hillel wished to 
understand the mystery of the divine decrees. 
To prepare himself for meditation so deep and 
profound, he spent two days in fasting and in 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



297 



prayer; on the third, he ascended the top of 
Mount Carmel ; there his gigantic mind endea- 
voured to grasp the mighty theme, but his 
thoughts rolled back upon his breast like stones 
from the top of Gerizim. At length, wearied 
by his fruitless inquiries, by chance he turned 
his eye toward a spot of earth where some- 
thing appeared to be moving. It was a mole, 
that having heard that there was such a thing 
as light, and forgetting the weakness of its own 
organs of vision, longed to look upon the sun in 
all its brightness and glory. Scarcely, however, 
had he left his subterranean abode, when, daz- 
zled by the overwhelming effulgence of the sun ? 
he wished himself back again ; but, before he 
could effect his retreat, an eagle hovering over, 
flew down, seized the mole with her talons and 
flew over the valley of the son of Hinnom. 
'Blessed be the God of my fathers,' exclaimed 
Rabbi Hillel, as he beheld the scene that passed 
before his eyes, 'Blessed be the God of my 
fathers, who by this little incident has taught 
his servant wisdom — not to be too anxious to 
explore mysteries which are too deep for hu- 
man comprehension.'" 

My brethren, listen ! The grand inquiry for 
such creatures as we are is, not whether we 
can understand all parts of the scheme of re- 
demption, but whether there is such a scheme, 
whereby the sinner may be saved. Not whe- 
ther two or three doctrines in the Bible are 
26 



298 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



hard to be understood, but whether the Bible 
itself, which contains these doctrines, be the 
word of God? Not whether we are of the 
elect or reprobate, but whether we are sinners, 
and need the salvation of Christ? for it is re- 
markable, the very same Bible which asserts 
the sovereignty of God, also asserts the free 
agency of man. The very same Bible which 
says — whom God foreknew, them he also pre- 
destinated to be conformed to the image of 
his Son, also says — " Whosoever will, let him 
take of the waters of life freely." Prying into 
deep mysteries may do us as much injury as 
gazing upon the sun did the mole, whose or- 
gans of vision could not bear the splendours of 
that bright orb of day. Let us, then, never 
perplex ourselves with those things which are 
too deep for us to fathom ; but let us bless God 
that, according to the Scriptures, "It is a 
faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, 
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save 
sinners, even the chief." Yes, instead of per- 
plexing ourselves w T ith things too high and 
deep for us, let us endeavour by grace divine 
to obtain an experimental knowledge of those 
plainer doctrines which are able to make us 
wise unto salvation — able to bring us to the 
world of light and glory, where we shall no 
more complain of intellectual darkness, for 
there shall be no night there \ But another 
excuse frequently urged is this : 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



299 



4. Professors of religion are no better than 
other persons. — Now this is either true, or it 
is not true. If true, these professors of reli- 
gion are not Christians ; for, if Christians, 
they must have the Spirit of Christ, and who 
will say that a man may have the Spirit of 
Christ and yet be no better than those who 
have not? But even admit that professors of 
religion are no better than other people. Sup- 
pose they are all a set of hypocrites, not ex- 
cepting your own mother, what of that? Will 
that make the doctrines of the Bible less true? 
— the precepts less binding ? — the promises less 
encouraging? — the threatenings less alarming! 
Suppose they are all hypocritical, hollow- 
hearted professors, will that blot out this pas- 
sage of Scripture, " Except ye repent ye 
shall all likewise perish"? Or this, "He that 
believeth not shall be damned"? Or this, "Ex- 
cept a man be born again he cannot see the 
kingdom of God"? You stumble at the in- 
consistent walk of professors of religion; and 
alas! that you should have so much occasion! 
but their sins cannot justify you in the day of 
accounts. Even their righteousness cannot do 
it — how much less their sins. You talk about 
the inconsistent walk of professors of religion, 
and did not the Saviour predict the very thing? 
"Wo to the world because of offences," says 
he, "it must needs be that offences come, but 
wo to that man by whom the offence cometh." 



300 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



Leave them in the hands of God : he will by 
no means suffer them to go unpunished ; but, 
if you be a sinner too — dying in that state, is 
there not to be a reckoning with you also? It 
is admitted that inconsistent, hollow-hearted 
professors of religion are stumbling blocks in 
the way of salvation, but if there were stum- 
bling blocks in your way to a golden mine, 
would those stumbling blocks keep you from 
rushing to that golden mine ? And is not the 
salvation of your precious soul worth infinitely 
more than all the treasures of a golden mine? 
Ah! my friend, believe me, your excuse is not 
a good one. It amounts to this — I have bought 
a piece of ground, and must needs go and see 
it, at supper time ! But a 

5th Excuse is this: "There are so many 
different denominations of Christians, I do not 
know which is the right one."— So many dif- 
ferent denominations ! There are, perhaps, one 
hundred more than you ever dreamed of, unless 
you have read largely upon the subject — and 
what of that? Does that make your soul less 
valuable? or a Saviour less needful? or heaven 
less glorious? or hell less terrible? or eternity 
less awful? So many different denominations! 
And do not most of them agree in essential 
matters? The Apostle says, "Grace be with 
all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in 
sincerity." Mark, he does not say, grace be 
with all them that think alike in every matter — 



VAIN EXCUSES. 301 

for however desirable this may be, it is by no 
means essential to salvation — but "grace be 
with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ 
in sincerity." And again, says he, "As many 
as walk according to this rule, peace be on 
them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God:" 
that is, as many as bring forth the fruits of a 
new and regenerate nature, peace be upon 
them. So many different denominations of 
Christians ! They are like the different colours 
which constitute the beauteous rainbow upon 
the body of the dark cloud — like the different 
parts in music — the tenor and the counter, the 
treble and the base — like the radii of a circle, 
of which Jesus Christ is the centre, and the 
nearer they come to the centre, the nearer they 
come to each other! — or rather, may I not say, 
that they are like the different companies which 
compose the grand army in time of war. Sup- 
pose the powers of Europe should combine 
against the liberties of our beloved country — 
and, sending over their multitudinous and well 
disciplined troops, should threaten to sweep 
away our republican institutions. The fact is 
announced and war proclaimed by our federal 
government — what a marshalling of the forces 
for battle ! On every hand youhear the sound of 
the heart stirring drum, and the trumpet of war, 
calling the freemen of America to the tented 
field. What a scene is presented! See, on yon- 
der mountain wave, there floats the gallant navy 
26* 



302 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



of my country, prepared with her thunder to 
repel the invading foe, or sink into the ocean's 
depths ! And see, on the land, how they come ! 
how they crowd in from all parts of this great 
confederacy ! — Are they all horsemen? are they 
all infantry? are they all riflemen? are they all 
artillerists? Have they all the same weapons 
of war? have they all the same uniform? What 
an endless variety prevails, and yet what unity ! 
This great army of American patriots is com- 
posed of many, very many, companies. Each 
company has its own officers, its own regi- 
mentals, its own weapons of war, and its own 
mode of warfare — aye, and each company has 
its own little flag, too; but see! the star 
spangled banner of my country waves over 
them all! Yes, the star spangled banner of 
my country waves over yonder gallant navy, 
upon the mountain wave, prepared to repel 
the invading foe, or sink into the ocean's 
depths! The star spangled banner of my 
country waves over the land army in all its 
variety, prepared to repel the invading foe, or 
bite the earth in death! Even so, what are 
the different denominations of real Christians, 
but the different companies which compose the 
grand army of Immanuel? — the sacramental 
host of God's elect? Each denomination, so 
to speak, may have its own officers, regi- 
mentals, and weapons of war — aye, and each 
may have its own little flag, too ; — but, mark ! 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



/ 

303 



the bloodstained banner of the cross — the bond 
of union for every pious heart, waves over 
them all! Let the sinner, then, do what he 
ought to have done long time ago; let him 
repent of his sins, and yield his heart to the 
blessed Redeemer; and, although not falling 
precisely into our ranks, I for one, (and I am 
sure I speak the sentiments of very many,) I 
for one, can most cordially give him the right 
hand of fellowship, and say, Is Christ pre- 
cious to your soul? Does his banner wave 
over you? God speed thee, my brother, in thy 
holy warfare ! God speed thee in thy journey 
to the skies! Press on! We differ in some 
things, but we agree in all essential matters ! — 
we differ in some things, but we are all mem- 
bers of the same household of faith, bought 
with the same precious blood, sanctified by the 
same Divine Spirit, and all passing through one 
beauteous gate to one eternal home ! Press on, 
my brother, we shall soon meet in heaven, and 
there see eye to eye; shall soon meet in our 
own Father's house above, and there salute 
each other as fellow immortals, and as brethren 
redeemed! And now what has become of the 
excuse about so many different denominations? 
It has vanished into air — it is frivolous — it 
amounts to this : "I have bought five yoke of 
oxen, and I go to prove them" at supper time ! 
I pray thee have me excused. In other words, 
it speaks this language — I don't choose to go ! 



304 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



But the same person, it may be, brings forward 
this excuse. 

6. "What harm have I done? I don't 
think that I am any great sinner. I have 
injured no man. I have defrauded no man. 
I have murdered no man. I am not covetous, 
I am not profane, I am not a gambler, nor 
a drunkard. I pay all my just debts; I am 
kind to the poor ; I go to church ; and I sub- 
scribe to many of the benevolent and chari- 
table institutions of the day." — Well, be it so. 
Suppose you are what the world calls a good 
kind of a moral man; and do you ask what 
harm have you done 1 and whom have you in- 
jured 1 You have failed to love the Lord your 
God ; and is this no harm ? You have turned 
your back upon a dying Saviour, and have 
even trampled upon his precious blood ; and is 
this no harm ? You have grieved the Spirit of 
God, and it may be, have broken many solemn 
vows ; and is this no harm ? You have not re- 
membered the Sabbath day, to keep it holy ; 
you have not improved your great privileges ; 
you have wasted much of our precious time ; 
you have indulged evil thoughts, harboured 
rebellious feelings, encouraged improper de- 
sires — and is this no harm ? You have sinned 
against light and against love : against the law 
and against the gospel: against the admoni- 
tions of God's word, the strivings of the Divine 
Spirit, and against the remonstrances of your 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



305 



own conscience. Yon are guilty of sins ol 
omission and commission : sins of thought, 
of word, and deed, and that times and ways 
without number. In short, the charge brought 
against Belshazzar, on the very night in 
which he was slain, may be brought against 
you : — u The God in whose hands thy breath 
is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not 
glorified." And now, upon thy soul the in- 
scription is written — " TeJcel, thou art weighed 
in the balances and art found wanting." And 
yet do you say what harm have I done ? and 
whom have I injured ? O, could you see your 
sins as God sees them, or as they are likely to 
come rolling over your soul in a dying hour, 
or certainly in the great judgment day, me- 
thinks, instead of saying, What harm have I 
done, and whom have I injured, you would 
say, Innumerable evils have compassed me 
about ; my sins have gone over my head as a 
cloud ; they are a burden too heavy for me ; 
and with the publican you would cry — " God 
be merciful to me a sinner." O, remember 
that it is written, " Cursed is every one that 
continueth not in all things written in the book 
of the law to do them." And whilst you are 
relying upon your own righteousness, remem- 
ber also the words of the holy Apostle, " Other 
foundation can no man lay than is laid, which 
is Jesus Christ." Your excuse, then, is a vain 
one ; it will not stand. Be assured, God, your 



306 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



judge, will not receive it. It is one of those 
refuges of lies s poken of in the Scriptures which 
the hail shall sweep away. Then give it up. 
Why should you hold fast to an excuse which 
you know to be not a good one ? But the excuses 
of the sinner are not yet exhausted, for he says, 
7. " God is too merciful to punish sinners." 
Now to determine this we must have recourse 
not to our own imaginations, but to the sacred 
volume, for, aside from the Scriptures, we 
would literally know nothing at all about such 
matters. The Bible then — the blessed Bible ! 
" This is the judge that ends the strife, where 
wit and reason fail." And now, to determine 
the case before us, we need to inquire only in 
relation to two things : (1.) What has God said? 
and (2.) What has God done ?— (1.) What has 
God said? He has said, it is true, that he is 
long-suffering, abundant in goodness and in 
truth — but he has also said, that he will by no 
means clear the guilty. He has said, it is true, 
that he has no pleasure in the death of the 
wicked ; but he has also said, if the wicked 
turn not, he shall whet his sword, and his hand 
will take hold on vengeance. He has said 
many things most consoling to the penitent 
and broken-hearted sinner, but upon all others 
he denounces terrible things. " Wo," says he, 
"to the wicked, it shall be ill with him." 
And again — " Except ye repent, ye shall all 
likewise perish." And again — " He that be- 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



307 



ing often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall 
suddenly be destroyed, and that without re- 
medy." Declarations like these, you know, 
my dear friends, are very common in the sa- 
cred volume, and you cannot believe they were 
intended to be mere vain words. Let the sin- 
ner then seriously consider what God has said, 
and what is before him. God is merciful. 
Yes, and we are glad to add, he is rich in 
mercy — his mercy is over all his works, and 
endureth forever ; but remember also, " God 
is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of 
man that he should repent." " Has he said it? 
and shall he not do it V " For ever, O Lord, 
thy word is settled in heaven !" (2.) But what 
has God done 1 Expelling rebel angels from 
heaven, he cast them down to hell ! Driving 
fallen man from paradise, he subjected him to 
death, temporal, spiritual, and eternal. The 
antediluvians were God's creatures, and yet 
being sinners, the flood came and swept them 
all away. The inhabitants of Sodom and Go- 
morrah were God's creatures, and yet on ac- 
count of their sins, you know very well what 
befel them. The Lord rained upon them fire 
and brimstone out of heaven ; and, according 
to the Apostle, they were set forth as ensam- 
ples, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 
Let not the sinner then, who continues in sin, 
expect to escape the righteous judgment of 
Almighty God, for it is written, " Though 



308 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



hand join in hand yet shall not the wicked go 
unpunished." And again — " Be not deceived, 
God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man 
soweth, that shall he also reap." There is a 
way, thank God, in which salvation may come 
to the sinner, as a flowing stream. Through 
the great atoning sacrifice of Christ, God can 
pardon the repenting sinner, and yet maintain 
the honours of his throne ; but, let the sinner 
reject the plan of salvation proposed in the gos- 
pel, and he rejects mercy herself — and mercy 
thus scorned and rejected, will herself grasp 
the sword, and turn executioner ! The wrath 
of the Lamb ! O who can bear it ! But another 
comes forward and says, 

8. " Heally, sir, I have not time to attend to 
the matter." — And what was time chiefly given 
for, but to prepare for eternity. Here is a ser- 
vant sent upon an important errand, but, ga- 
thering flowers and pebbles by the way, he 
lingers and says, % have not time to go upon 
the errand. Here is a planter, the time for 
putting his seed into the ground is come, but 
his grounds are not ploughed, nor are his 
fences up ; and, sporting with his hounds, or 
amusing himself in his garden, he pleads he 
has not time to sow his fields. Not time ! 
You have time to attend to your bodies — why 
not time to attend to your souls ? " O ! Mr. 
Ryland, I have not time to attend to such mat- 
ters." Observe, this was the language of a 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



309 



certain member of congress to the chaplain of 
congress, at the time the man of God urged 
him to attend to the great interests of his un- 
dying soul. " O ! sir," said he, " I have not 
time to attend to such matters." Men of the 
world, listen ! This member of congress was 
a lawyer. He made, as I am told, twenty 
thousand dollars a year by his practice as a 
lawyer. He was a senator — one of the most 
brilliant stars which ever confiscated in the 
senate chamber. Moreover, he was an orator, 
a finished orator, if there ever was one in this 
land of ours. His tongue was the tongue 
of the learned, it dropped manna ; persuasion 
dwelt upon his lips. All who heard him were 
charmed with his silver-toned voice, and the 
heart-stirring strains of his enrapturing elo- 
quence. When it was known that he was to 
speak in the senate chamber, it was difficult 
to keep a quorum in the other house ; and 
on a certain occasion, when he had made a 
most brilliant speech on the Missouri ques- 
tion, John Randolph, (certainly a judge of elo- 
quence, if of nothing else,) — yes, John Ran- 
dolph, in perfect admiration exclaimed, " I had 
rather be the author of that speech than Em- 
peror of all the Russias." This is the man, 
the lawyer, the statesman — the great and bril- 
liant man, who, when urged to take care of 
his soul, replied, " O, Mr. Ryland, I have 
not time to attend to such matters." Ah 
27 



310 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



me! " what shadows we are, and what sha- 
dows we pursue !" This very man, only a 
few weeks after, was shrouded and laid in the 
grave ! And now, as he is sinking in the cold 
embrace of death, the same chaplain comes 
to his bed-side, and for the last time admon- 
ishes him to take care of his soul. What does 
he now say? "O, Mr. By land, the world has 
ruined me !" Remember, I do not draw aside 
the curtain ; I will not pronounce concerning 
his doom ; but on the supposition that his last 
words were true, "the world has ruined me !" 
On that supposition, where is he now ? In the 
dark world of wo ! And what is it to him, this 
moment, that he was once able to amass 
twenty thousand dollars a year by his prac- 
tice as a lawyer? Alas ! now he has not silver 
and gold enough to purchase one poor drop of 
water to cool his tongue tormented in penal 
names ! And what is it to him, this moment, 
that he was once the most brilliant star that 
ever glittered in the senate chamber of the 
United States ? Alas ! this star is fallen ! Its 
brilliancy is quenched in the gloom of the pit 
that has no bottom ! And what is it to him 
now, that once his tongue was the tongue of 
the learned ; that it dropped manna ; that per- 
suasion dwelt upon his lips, and that all who, 
heard him were charmed with the strains of 
his surpassing eloquence. Does he speak ! It 
is in groans of anguish, and shrieks of despair — 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



311 



Methinks he cries out in the agony of a lost 
soul, " I have lost my day ! I have lost my soul ! 
The harvest is passed, the summer is ended, and 
I am not saved !" You have not time to attend 
to your spiritual interests! What says the 
Saviour, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God 
and his righteousness." This is to be sought as 
an object of the first importance, and in the first 
place ; and for this, a good reason is assigned 
in another place, "What is a man profited, if 
he shall gain the whole world, and lose his 
own soul?" 

9. "I know that religion is important: I do 
not intend to neglect it, but there is time 
enough yet." — You admit that religion is im- 
portant, and yet you seem disposed to attend to 
any thing and every thing else first ! You ad- 
mit that religion is important — we are pleased 
that you make this admission, but better proof 
of your sense of its importance would give us 
more pleasure still. But you say, you do not 
intend to neglect it. Are you not mistaken? 
Let us test this matter. Is it your purpose to 
attend to it this day? to-morrow? the next 
week? the next month? the next year? No, 
you say, you have not exactly formed any reso- 
lution of this kind. Then it seems you are 
quite reconciled to the idea of neglecting it at 
least for one day, one month, and even for one 
year! O, there is something awful in this! 
Something to make one shudder! It speaks 



312 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



this language : Terrible as the loss of the soul 
is, I am willing to expose myself to the peril of 
it, for at least one year more! But you say, 
you have time enough yet — What! if you 
should die this night ? And what security have 
you that you shall not? — I am free to confess I 
do not think it likely that you will die to-night, 
but it is quite possible, and the bare possibility 
of your dying in your present state, this night, 
surely it is enough to take away sleep from 
your eyes, and slumber from your eyelids ! I 
recollect when I was yet unconverted. I was 
sometimes afraid to go to sleep at night, lest 
I might never wake up in this world any 
more! And I recollect making a remark of 
this kind one evening at the house of a friend 
in Texas, some years ago, and it was blessed 
to the hopeful conversion of one precious soul. 
Suppose you think upon the matter ; it may, 
by grace divine, be the means of saving you 
from going down to the pit. Remember, your 
breath is in your nostrils, and God may stop 
that breath any moment. But why do you 
think that there is time enough yet 1 Are you 
young ? Some younger than you are now 
sleeping in their graves. Are you in strong 
health ? Ah, me ! some not only in youth, but 
in strong health, have been cut down, and that 
without warning. 0,1 could mention so many 
cases that have fallen under my own observa- 
tion, and some, too, of a most melancholy cha- 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



313 



racter. And am I wrong ? Some cases of a 
similar kind have been known to you. " In the 
midst of life we are in death." O, how many- 
illustrations of this fact occur every year, and 
in every place! And do you still say, "there 
is time enough yet !" Had you seen Mr. 
Loomis, of Bangor, ascend the pulpit on a 
certain new year Sabbath, you would have 
thought it probable that he would ascend his 
pulpit many Sabbaths yet to come. Alas ! he 
had entered it for the last time. He arose, he 
took his text — it was this : " This year thou 
shalt die." He made a few remarks, turned 
pale, and sank down in his pulpit a lifeless 
corpse. His pulpit was his death-chamber, and 
his gown his winding- sheet. "Time enough 
yet !" If you had seen Judge Boling rise up 
in the hall of the House of Representatives a 
few years ago, and address the Speaker, you 
might have expected him to make many more 
speeches in that hall of legislation ; but, alas ! 
he was then making his last speech. "Mr. 
Speaker," said he ; and while addressing the 
chair, the angel of death touched him, and he 
fell down a dead man ! "Time enough yet P 
If you had seen Colonel Bowie, some eighteen 
or twenty years since, enter a certain church in 
the city of Washington, you would little have 
thought that he had entered the church of God 
for the last time ; but so it was. While the 
man of God in the pulpit was preaching- to the 



314 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



people the unsearchable riches of Christ, all 
who were present, heard a groan ! It was his 
last. Colonel Bowie fell upon the floor and 
immediately expired! His friends gathered 
around him and carried him out a dead man. 
And O ! who can forget the sudden death of 
Emmet, of Harper, and of Clinton,, and espe- 
cially the tragical and most melancholy affair 
on board the Princeton, when two of the heads 
of the departments of government, with seve- 
ral other distinguished individuals, were in a 
moment launched into eternity ? Ah ! my breth- 
ren, we can compute the length of any natural 
day, but not how long any man is going to 
live on earth ; we can tell precisely when the 
natural sun will set, but not when the sun of 
life will go down. Sometimes the period of 
man's life is lengthened like a summer's day ; 
sometimes it is made short as a day in mid- 
winter. Sometimes the sun of life goes down 
at noon, and sometimes while it is yet early in 
the morning. Sometimes it fades away like 
the fleecy cloud on the azure sky; sometimes 
it appears like the meteor flashing and corus- 
cating in the heavens, and then in a moment 
quenched and gone out. 

"Our life contains a thousand springs, 

And fails if one be gone ; 
Strange that a harp of thousand strings 

Should keep in tune so long." 

"Boast not thyself of to-morrow," said one 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



315 



who uttered many wise sayings. " Boast not 
thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not 
what a day may bring forth." When such 
mighty interests are at stake, none should pre- 
sume upon the future. " Be wise to-day, 'tis 
madness to defer." 

Once more: "I must wait God's time." 
Some really seem to be waiting for miracles. 
I know very well that Saul of Tarsus was mi- 
raculously arrested on his way to Damascus, 
but let not every sinner expect miracles on his 
way to Damascus. But does not David say, 
"My soul waiteth for the Lord?" Certainly 
he said so, but did he not also add, " More than 
they that watch for the morning?" How re- 
markable the expression, "More than they 
that watch for the morning ;" that is, more than 
the nurse in the chamber of the sick man, who 
looks out at the window, and longs for the 
breaking of the day ; or more than the sentinel 
in a cold damp night looks towards the east, and 
longs for the rising of the morning star. Can 
you say that you do wait for the Lord more 
than they who do thus long for the breaking 
of the day, and the rising of the morning star? 
You are waiting God's time? Is this really 
so? Then, be it thus; but remember, the 
present is his time, as it is written — " Behold 
now is the accepted time — behold, now is the 
day of salvation." And again : " Choose ye 
this day whom you will serve." And again. 



316 



VAIN EXCUSES. 



" To-day, if you will hear his voice, harden 
not your hearts." 

And now my friends, in closing, hear me ! O, 
do attend to what I say ! Only a little while, 
and we shall have done with the scenes of this 
transitory state— only a little while, and our race 
will have been run, our probation closed, and 
our character and destiny sealed for ever! Our 
eternal all is at stake ! Let there be no trifling 
in this matter — bring near the scenes which 
are certainly before us. Suppose you were 
now upon a dying bed, how would your ex- 
cuses appear ? — Suppose this was the very mo- 
ment of your leaving the world — pulse quiver- 
ing, blood freezing, heart-strings breaking, soul 
panting, shuddering, launching away! — how 
would your excuses appear? But change the 
scene. Suppose this were the great judgment 
day, and all its tremendous scenes now passing 
before you — trump sounding, dead rising, God 
descending, angels shouting, devils wailing — in 
these solemn circumstances how would your 
excuses appear? If your excuses are good, my 
counsel is, hold them fast ! Do not let the minis- 
ter take them from you — do not let your mother 
take them from you. Let no one take them from 
you. If you are sure they are good, I repeat it, 
hold them fast ! carry them with you all along 
the journey of life ! carry them with you down 
into the grave, and up to the judgment bar ; 
plead them before your Maker. If your ex- 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



317 



cuses are good, God is just, and he will sustain 
them. But, if they are not good, (and is there 
not a misgiving in your heart, even now — aye, 
a conviction that they are not good ?) I change 
my counsel altogether. If not good, do not hold 
them fast ; I beseech you do not carry them 
with you through the journey of life ! Do not, 
I entreat you, as you value your precious souls, 
do not carry them with you dowm to the grave, 
nor up to the judgment bar, lest God look upon 
you and you wither away ! lest God frown 
upon you, and you perish for ever ! 



SERMON XII. 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 

And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing 
idle, and saith unto them, why stand ye here all the da} r idle 1 — 
Matthew xx., 6. 

It was foretold of our blessed Saviour, that he 
should open his mouth in parables, and we 
find that it was oftentimes in this way that he 
instructed his friends and silenced his ene- 
mies. The parable of the householder, like 
that of the* prodigal son, is of a national cha- 
racter, and was primarily designed to repre- 



318 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



sent the Jewish and the Gentile nations, and to 
exhibit the goodness and the sovereignty of 
God. By the vineyard we are to understand 
the church of God. By the householder the 
head of the church. By the labourers hired 
early in the morning, we may understand 
those brought in, in the patriarchal age. By 
those hired at the third, sixth, and ninth hours, 
those brought in under the ministry of Moses, 
Samuel, and John the Baptist ; and by those 
hired at the eleventh hour, the Gentiles are 
evidently intended, who were brought in at 
that period of the world commonly denomi- 
nated the last days. By accommodation, and 
for important practical purposes, we may take 
this view of the subject. By the vineyard we 
may understand as before, the church of God. 
By the householder the head of the church; 
whilst by the day we may understand the sea- 
son of grace allotted to us in this world ; and 
by the different hours in which the labourers 
were hired, we may understand the different 
periods in which sinners are converted and 
brought into the bosom of the church. Taking 
this view of the parable, we wish 

I. To point out those who are spiritually 
idle, and 

II. Mention those who have probably reach- 
ed the eleventh hour. 

I. Point out those who are spiritually idle. 
To determine this matter, we need only inquire, 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



319 



what is that great business which we have to 
attend to in this world ; and then it will, of 
course, follow as a necessary consequence, that 
those who are neglecting this grand concern, 
are, and ought to be, numbered with those who 
are spiritually idle. And now, my brethren, 
what is this great concern ? Rest assured, God 
Almighty never sent us into this world merely 
that we might plant, and build, and buy and 
sell, and get gain, and then go and sleep an 
everlasting sleep in the grave ! How much less 
did he send us into this world, that we might 
run the round of worldly pleasure, and fashion, 
and sin, and folly, and then drop into the pit 
which has no bottom ! O no ! Man has an 
immortal soul, and a higher destiny awaits 
him. He is to prepare for another and a better 
world. According to the Scriptures, there is a 
heaven. O heaven, sweet heaven! The pur- 
chase of a Saviour's blood! the Christian's rest! 
the pilgrim's home ! the dwelling-place of love, 
of glory, and of God ! The patriarchs are there, 
the prophets are there, the martyrs are there, 
our blessed Saviour is there, aye, and all who 
have fallen asleep in Jesus, are there ! O hea- 
ven, sweet heaven ! the loveliest and most de- 
sirable place in all the empire of the great G od ! 
This being the case, our great business on earth 
is so to live, and act in such a manner, that hav- 
ing glorified God in our day and generation, we 



320 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



may, when death comes, have nothing to do 
but to die, to fall asleep in Jesus, and wake 
up in that holy and happy world ; and there be 
with God and his angels for ever and ever ! 
Yes, my brethren, this is our great business on 
earth, and, in comparison with it, every thing 
else dwindles into perfect insignificance; for 
"what is a man profited if he gain the whole 
world and lose his own soul?" And now, let 
it be remarked, there are two things which 
constitute essential parts of this business of 
preparation for heaven, viz : repentance to- 
ward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

1. We must repent of our sins. — This was 
the burden of John the Baptist ; with this doc- 
trine our Saviour commenced his ministry, and 
you recollect the language of Paul upon Mars 
Hill, — " The times of this ignorance," says he, 
" God winked at, but now commandeth all 
men every where to repent." And for this he 
assigns a substantial reason ; " for," continues 
he, " God hath appointed a day wherein he 
will judge the world in righteousness." And, 
you recollect, that when some told our Saviour 
of certain Galileans, whose blood Pilate had 
mingled with their sacrifices, he replied, "Think 
ye that these Galileans were sinners above all 
the Galileans, because they suffered such 
things ? I tell you nay, but except ye repent, 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 321 

ye shall all likewise perish." How sweeping 
is this language ! " Except ye repent, ye shall 
all likewise perish." He comes, as it were, to 
the rich man rolling in affluence, and says : 
Thinkest thou, O rich man, that thy wealth on 
earth will plead for thee in the day of judg- 
ment? I tell thee nay, "but except ye repent, ye 
shall all likewise perish." He comes to the poor 
man, struggling with adversity, and says : 
Thinkest thou, O poor man, that thy trials on 
earth will exempt thee in the day of reckon- 
ing I I tell thee nay, " but except ye repent, ye 
shall all likewise perish." He comes also to the 
man of silvery locks, and says : Thinkest thou, 
aged man, that thy silvery locks will stand thee 
instead at the bar of thy Maker ? I tell thee 
nay, " but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise 
perish." Aye, and he comes to the young man, 
and the young maiden, who have the freshness 
of youth upon them, and says : Thinkest thou 3 
O vain youth, that the dew of thy youth will 
plead for thee, in the day of final accounts? I 
tell thee nay, " but except ye repent, ye shall all 
likewise perish." I repeat it, the language is 
sweeping — all have sinned, says the Apostle, 
and therefore all must repent, or there is no 
such thing as entering the heavenly world. 
The Bible settles the matter, and we see that it 
must be so in the very nature of the case ; for 
suppose the sinner to enter heaven in an im- 
penitent state, what would he do there ? Cer- 
28 



322 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



tainly he would justify himself, and condemn 
his Maker. He would plant the standard of 
revolt "hard by the throne of God," and teach 
lessons of rebellion to the loyal and happy ones 
in glory. The thought is horrible. The case 
then is doubty clear, that where God is, the im- 
penitent sinner cannot come ; where heaven is. 
the impenitent sinner can have no place ! These 
things being so, repentance forming an essen- 
tial part of the business of preparation for hea- 
ven, it is important that we know what true 
repentance is. It implies a conviction of sin. 
Serious thought is not enough; we must feel 
that we are sinners, and great sinners, in the 
sight of God, and that it is of his mercies that 
we have not been consumed. Moreover, true 
repentance implies sorrow of heart that we have 
sinned against a Being so good and great — and 
especially that we have so long slighted and 
rejected a dying Saviour. Besides, in true re- 
pentance, there is always a settled purpose to 
forsake our sins and turn from all our evil 
ways. Believe me, brethren,this work of repent- 
ance is a deep work. It takes hold upon the 
heart, and revolutionizes all the feelings of the 
soul. We must repent, not like the hypocriti- 
cal Ephraimites, who howled indeed upon 
their beds, but cried not unto God in their 
hearts — nor like the king of Egypt, who re- 
pented whilst the mighty thunderings were 
sounding in his ears, but who, so soon as they 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



323 



were hushed, sinned on as before — nor like 
the unhappy Judas, who legally repented, and 
then went and hanged himself. No ! but we 
must repent like a David, who offered to God 
the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite 
spirit. We must repent like the prodigal, who 
said, "I will arise and go to my father, and 
say unto him, Father, I have sinned against 
heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more 
worthy to be called thy son, make me as one 
of thy hired servants ;" and who arose and 
did accordingly. In short, we must repent 
like the publican, who, "standing afar off, 
would not so much as lift up his eyes to hea- 
ven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God 
be merciful to me a sinner." And now per- 
mit me to ask each one in this assembly, re- 
spectfully, have you repented? You have shed 
many tears, it may be, but not one for your 
sins. You have heaved many sighs, but per- 
haps not one for your sins. And you have felt 
many a pang, but not one for your sins. Is 
this so ? Alas ! you have neglected one of the 
essential parts of the business of preparation 
for heaven. You are numbered with those 
who are spiritually idle ; and what if the an- 
gel of death touch you, in your present state? 
Alas! you are undone! gone for ever! But 

2. We must believe in the Lord Jesus 
Christ. — This is another essential part of the 
business of preparation for heaven. You re- 



324 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



collect that when certain ones asked our Sa- 
viour what they should do to work the work 
of God, he replied, "This is the work of God, 
that ye believe in him whom he hath sent." 
And so important and so essential is this, that 
the Saviour himself says, "He that believeth 
not shall be damned." And now, what is it 
to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? There 
need be no difficulty. Understanding- the way 
of salvation, through a crucified Saviour, and 
approving of that way, we are cordially to ac- 
cept of it, thanking God for his unspeakable 
gift. But as so much has been said about his- 
torical faith, temporary faith, saving faith, and 
the like ; it may be proper for us to examine 
the matter a little further. Faith, I would de- 
fine to be, the belief of the testimony of God in 
general, having special reference to Christ as 
the sinner's only hope, or in other language, 
it is simply to take God at his word. In the 
eleventh chapter of Paul's Epistle to the He- 
brews, we find numerous exemplifications of 
the nature of faith. For example : "By faith, 
Noah, being warned of God of things not seen 
as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to 
the saving of his house." God had said unto 
Noah, "The end of all flesh is come before 
me, for the earth is filled with violence through 
them, and behold I will destroy them with 
the earth ; make thee an ark ; and behold I, 
even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



325 



earth, to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath 
of life from under heaven, but with thee will 
I establish my covenant, and thou shalt come 
into the ark, thou and thy sons, thy wife, and 
thy sons' wives with thee." ' Now Noah be- 
lieved, in his heart, that it really would be just 
as God had said, and he acted accordingly. 
This was faith, in relation to this matter. Let 
a similar faith be exercised in relation to Christ, 
and the soul is saved. For example, it is writ- 
ten, Behold I lay in Zion, for a foundation, a 
stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, 
a sure foundation, and he that belie veth in him 
shall not be ashamed.* Now, let the sinner 
venture his soul on this naked promise of a 
God that cannot lie. Let him take God at his 
word, and put him upon his honour, and he 
exercises that faith which will assuredly land 
the soul in glory. The illustration of Cecil is- 
in point — it is substantially this: Coming into 
his house one day, he saw his little girl amus- 
ing herself with some beautiful beads ; wish- 
ing to teach her the nature of faith, he said, 
"My daughter, throw those beads into the 
fire." O ! how could the little girl throw her 
pretty beads into the fire ? And as she was 
hesitating, her father added, " My daughter, 
throw those beads into the fire, and you shall 
not lose by it." The little girl looked in her 

* Compare Isaiah xxviii. 16, with Romans ix. 33. 
28* 



326 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



father's face, to see if he was in good earnest: 
convinced of this, she made a desperate effort, 
and threw her beads into the fire. The next 
day he went out and "bought a number of beau- 
tiful articles, likely to please a girl of her age, 
and coming in, with a pleasant countenance, 
said, "My daughter, your father makes you a 
present this morning of this box, and all it 
contains." " What," said she, " all these beau- 
tiful things mine, papa ?" " Yes, my dear, this 
is your father's present this morning." " What, 
all these beautiful things mine?" — Almost too 
good to be true ! And now, whilst her eyes 
were sparkling with delight, and her little 
heart was dancing for joy, her father said, 
u My daughter, do not you recollect, yester- 
day I said, Throw those beads into the fire, 
and you shall not lose by it?" " Yes, papa." 
" Well, have you lost any thing by it now ?" 
" O ! no, papa/' said she, " no indeed !" " Now," 
replied he, "I have done this to show you 
what faith is. The Bible says, Believe in the 
Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall not lose by 
it. Believe in the Lord Jesu.s Christ, and thou 
shalt be saved." 

How perfectly simple faith is ! I repeat it, 
it is just to take God at his word, and put him 
upon his honour. A man dreamed once, (I 
care nothing about dreams, but I like illus- 
trations,) — a man dreamed once that he was 
going along in the broad road, and Satan was 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



327 



dragging him down to hell : alarmed, he cried 
for help, and suddenly one appeared in a lovely 
form, and said, " Follow me !" Immediately 
Satan vanished ; and in his dream the man 
thought he followed the heavenly one in a 
straight and narrow way, until he came to a 
river, where he saw no bridge. Pointing in a 
certain direction, the angel said : "Pass over 
that bridge" — " I see no bridge," said the man. 
"Yes there is a bridge, and you must pass over 
it, for there is no other, and heaven is beyond." 
Looking more narrowly, the dreamer saw what 
appeared to be a hair extending from one bank 
of the river to the other bank. " Pass over on 
that," said the angel. " O, how can I V said 
the man, " it is too slender, and cannot sustain 
me." — " It will sustain you. I am from above, 
I lie not, and I give you my word it will sus- 
tain you." And now, whilst the man was 
trembling and afraid to venture, he thought 
that Satan again seized upon him to drag him 
down to hell. Urged by necessity, he put his 
foot upon the bridge, slender as it appeared, 
and found it solid plank — a substantial bridge, 
and he went over safely, and entered shouting 
into the heavenly world. — Now the awakened 
sinner, under divine influences, is brought, so 
to speak, to the bank of the river. Heaven is 
beyond. He asks how he can reach that happy 
world. He is told he must believe in the Lord 
Jesus Christ, and he shall be saved ; but this 



328 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



promise is not enough ; it appears only as the 
hair extended from one bank of the river to 
the other bank. The sinner wants something 
more substantial ; but this is the bridge which 
must take him over, and there is no other. 
And slender as the bridge of divine promise 
may appear in his eyes, only let him venture 
upon it, and he shall know that it is strong 
enough to sustain millions. Some persons 
stumble at the simplicity of the way of salva- 
tion. There is no occasion, for every thing 
that God does is marked with simplicity. 
What man does is apt to be complicated ; but 
in union with wisdom and grandeur, a beauti- 
ful simplicity reigns throughout all the works 
of God. Suppose, my friends, you and I had 
the lighting up of the world — what a compli- 
cated machinery we would have. How many 
ten thousand lamps would we make use of! 
and the world by these would not be well 
lighted up after all. But God proposes to 
light up the world, and only see ! One bril- 
liant sun, like an urn of overflowing light, 
pours day upon the world; better, infinitely bet- 
ter, than all our lamps. Even so, if all the 
ministers on earth, aye, and if all the angels in 
heaven should unite their efforts to save one 
sinner from the damnation of hell, it would be 
all in vain. But thank God, one loving, dear, 
dying Christ can save millions — can save all 
who will come unto God through him. Hence 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



329 



this language of the Saviour himself — " As Mo- 
ses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even 
so must the Son of man be lifted up, that who- 
soever believeth in him should not perish, but 
have eternal life." And as many are apt to 
stumble at the simplicity of this way of salva- 
tion, the Saviour comes over the same ground 
again, substantially, in the very next verse- — 
" For," continues he, " God so loved the world, 
that he gave his only begotten Son, that who- 
soever believeth in him should not perish, but 
have everlasting life." In the next verse the 
same idea is, with some change of phraseology, 
presented a third time, and in the following 
verse even a fourth time. This is remarkable, 
and it seems to speak this language — Ye sons 
of men, marvel not at the simplicity of the way 
of salvation. This is the way — this is the way ! 
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt 
be saved. And, to crown the matter, how clear 
and easily understood is the Saviour's illustra- 
tion in reference to the brazen serpent. The 
children of Israel were bitten by fiery serpents. 
The venom was deadly. Moses could not heal 
them ; the elders of Israel could not heal them ; 
nor could they heal themselves. God alone 
could meet the case. In the plenitude of his 
mercy he directs Moses to prepare a brazen 
serpent, and place it upon a pole in the midst 
of the camp ; and was pleased to pledge his 
veracity that those who, when bitten, would 



330 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



look, should live. Here is an Israelite bitten. 
He is in the most remote part of the camp, 
writhing in agony upon the ground. " O send 
for Moses," says he, " send for the elders." 
They come, and ask what is the matter ? u O 
Moses," replies he, " a serpent has bitten me, 
I am in agony, I am dying ! O help me !" "I 
can't help you," says Moses. " Elders of Is- 
rael ! for pity's sake help a dying man !" " We 
can't help you," say they. " Well, what is to 
be done, must I die ?" " Certainly not. There 
is no necessity," says Moses. "Yonder is the 
brazen serpent, placed upon the pole for this 
very purpose, that those who are bitten, on 
looking, should live." Now the man, seeing that 
Moses cannot cure him, nor the elders, nor can 
he cure himself — convinced that this is the last 
resort, the only remedy, turns his dying eyes 
upon the brazen serpent, and springing up, ex- 
claims — " Glory be to God, I am cured ! I am 
a sound man \" Now, says the Saviour — " As 
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 
even so must the Son of man be lifted up, 
that whosoever believeth in him shall not per- 
ish, but have eternal life." And this falls in 
with another passage of Scripture : — " Look 
unto me and be ye saved, all ye ends of the 
earth, for I am God, and there is none else." 
Yes, my brethren, a crucified Saviour is the 
sinner's only hope. One look of faith at this 
bleeding victim, and you are converted ! One 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



331 



look of faith, and your sins are all forgiven ! 
Aye, one look of faith at this great atoning 
sacrifice, and the universe is changed in rela- 
tion to yon, and over yon there are shoutings 
in the heavenly world — u The dead is alive 
again, and the lost is found." But you say, 
perhaps, that you do not understand what is 
meant by this look ; I will give an illustration. 
Here is a stripling ; a strong man has seized 
upon him, and threatens to take his life. The 
stripling cannot cope with this strong man, he 
wants his father, who is a stronger man, to 
come to his relief. He looks, and sees his fa- 
ther in the distance. You can understand that 
look. Only cast such a look toward the blessed 
Saviour, and so sure as the Bible is true, you 
will reach at last the heavenly world, and there 
a crown of glory shall rest upon your head. 
And now remember, this exercise of faith in 
Christ is indispensably necessary. It forms 
an essential part of the business of preparation 
for heaven, for the sum and substance of all that 
the Bible says upon the subject is this — " Be- 
lieve in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt 
be saved; but he that believeth not shall be 
damned." And here I would remark, if you 
wish to know whether your faith is of the right 
kind, you must try it by the Bible test. To 
you that believe, says Peter, He, that is, 
Christ, is precious. Yes, the genuine be- 
liever has new views of Christ as a suitable 



332 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



and most precious Saviour. And whereas the 
blessed Saviour was to him before as a root out 
of a dry ground, without form or comeliness — 
he is now the rose of Sharon and the lily of 
the valley. Yea, the chiefest among ten thou- 
sand, and the one altogether lovely ; and he can 
enter into the feelings of the poet who says, 

u O, could I speak the matchless worth • 
O, could I sound thy glories forth 

Which in my Saviour shine ! 
I'd soar and touch the heavenly strings, 
And vie with Gabriel while he sings, 

In notes almost divine !" 

These things being so, if there be any who 
love not the Lord Jesus, who have never felt 
their need of him — in other words, who have 
never received him in the arms of a confiding 
and appropriating faith, let all such know that 
they have neglected an essential part of the 
great business which thev must attend to in 
this world, or never enter heaven. However 
active and industrious they may be in relation 
to the things of this world, they have neglected 
the great concern, and must be enrolled 
amongst the spiritually idle — and to them I 
would say, " Why stand ye here all the day 
idle ?" But this leads me 

II. To point out those who have probably 
reached the eleventh hour. — It is well known 
that the Jews, in ancient times, divided their 
day into twelve hours. The third hour being 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



333 



about nine o'clock; the sixth, noon; the ninth, 
about three o'clock, p. m.; and of course the 
eleventh hour was near the closing of the day. 
If we may be permitted to make a correspond- 
ing division of the day of grace, doubtless there 
are some present who have reached the third 
hour, some the sixth, some the ninth, and some 
the eleventh hour. We cannot say who have 
positively reached either of these periods, but 
we wish to point out those who have probably 
reached the last, the eleventh hour, 

L Those advanced in age. — This is a clear 
case, for their hoary locks, their increasing in- 
firmities, and the dimness passing over their 
eyes plainly show, that with them the third hour 
is gone, the sixth hour is passed, even the ninth 
hour is rolled away, and the eleventh is come ! 
Aged sinner ! your sun is near its setting, the 
shadows of evening are lengthening around 
you, your eleventh hour is come ! Have you 
never yet entered the vineyard? O how much 
precious time have you wasted ! How very long 
you have been perilling the salvation of your 
soul ! And are you still neglecting the great 
business? the grand concern ? O how criminal 
and dangerous is this neglect! " Why stand 
ye here all the day idle ?" But, 

2. Those whose health is failing have also 
probably reached the eleventh hour. — I know 
very well, that diseases are not always the im- 
mediate harbingers of death, but frequently 
29 



334 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



they are. Our Saviour, it is true, said of a 
Lazarus, when he was sick, this sickness is 
not unto death ; but who can approach any one 
on earth, whose health is now impaired, and 
use that language ? Ah ! could we look into the 
rolls of heaven, and know the number of months 
appointed unto them, we would perhaps have 
to say, at least of some of them, as the Prophet 
said of Benhadad when he was sick : " The 
Lord hath showed me that thou shalt surely 
die !" There may be a fever just beginning to 
revel in the veins, that is to land this one in 
the house appointed for all living ! And there 
may be a slight cold now falling upon the lungs 
which is to wrap that one in the winding sheet 
before many more months shall have rolled 
away! The healthful may die, and suddenly 
too, but those whose health is impaired, seem 
to be already summoned ! " Why stand ye 
here all the day idle ?" 

In casting my eye over this large congrega- 
tion, I see many who are in the morning of life, 
and many too, who, although not young, are 
nevertheless in strong and vigorous health, and 
they may be flattering themselves with the idea 
that it is quite early in the day with them yet. 
If the third hour is gone, surely it is not be- 
yond the sixth, or at the utmost the ninth hour ! 
My dear brethren, be not too confident in this 
matter. Where is your grave-yard? Let us pay 
it a brief visit. Ah ! what do we there see ? 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



335 



Long graves and short graves ! and graves of 
every kind ! Yes ! there hoary age and beard- 
less youth sleep side by side ! Suppose all in 
this sanctuary should now withdraw, and all 
the dead in the neighbouring grave-yards 
should rise up out of their graves, and, wrapped 
in their winding sheet, should fill this house — 
what kind of a congregation, in relation to 
age, would it be ? Very much I suspect like 
the present assembly. Here we might see 
some patriarchal man, with his locks silvery 
with age ; there a venerable matron far ad- 
vanced in the vale of life ; here we might see a 
youthful husband, and there the wife of his 
youth. In another part of the church, we 
might see a promising son, just ripening into 
manhood; and there a daughter, and a lovely 
one, just turned of sixteen ! whilst in that pew 
we might see a child, the pride of doating pa- 
rents ; and there a sweet little babe whom 
angels sung to rest ! And here, too, where I 
stand, we might see a Rodgers or a Wesley, 
bending under the load of age — or a Spencer, 
or a Larned, vigorous in youthful days. 

Ah ! my brethren, the congregation of the 
dead is very much like the congregation of the 
living. It embraces persons of every age, and 
every sex. Young men and maidens, old men 
and children, they all do lie down together in 
the dust, and the worms do cover them. Sup- 
pose then, you are in good health, and even 



336 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



young, you are not sure — you cannot be, that 
your eleventh hour is not yet come. Whilst 
with some the period of life on earth is long 
and extended as a summer's day, with others 
it is short and contracted as a day in mid- win- 
ter. Sometimes the sun of life goes down at 
noon, and sometimes even whilst the dew is 
yet upon the ground. And whilst in some 
cases life gradually fades away, as the fleecy 
cloud which imperceptibly melts away on the 
azure sky, sometimes it vanishes like the me- 
teor, which for a few moments plays along the 
edge of a tempest, and then is gone. O ! how 
uncertain is life ! We may compute the length 
of any natural day, but we cannot tell the 
length of any day of life. We can tell the 
very minute when yonder sun will set, but we 
cannot tell the hour, nor the month, nor the 
year, when the sun of life will go down ; hence 
the language of the Saviour, " Be ye also 
ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, 
the Son of man cometh." Then be not too 
sure that your eleventh hour has not arrived. 
But suppose you knew precisely when your 
life on earth would terminate. Suppose it 
were reduced to a certainty that you should 
attain three-score years and ten, even in that 
case you could not say that your eleventh hour 
has not arrived. And here I now bring for- 
ward one of the most awful doctrines found in 
all the sacred volume. It is this — that the 



IDLENESS REPROVED, 



337 



day of grace is not always as long as the day 
of life. "My Spirit," says God/ " shall not 
always strive with man." " Ephraim is joined 
to his idols, let him alone." Paul speaks of 
some who were given over to a hard heart, and 
a reprobate mind ; and, with regard to others 
he says, "God shall send them strong delu- 
sion, that they should believe a lie : that they 
all mirfit be damned who believed not the 
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 
2 Thess. ii. 11, 12. The idea is this, that 
some, on account of their sins, are judicially 
hardened. Having grieved the Spirit, he takes 
his departure ; and left to themselves they be- 
come incorrigible, past feeling, and past hope. 
But how shall we find out when their day of 
grace is drawing to a close ? As there are cer- 
tain symptoms which indicate the closing of 
the natural day, even so there are certain 
symptoms which, to say the least, seem to 
give awful indications that the day of grace is 
drawing to a close. We do not pretend to de- 
cide upon any individual case. We make ge- 
neral remarks, and we do it to sound a sea- 
sonable alarm in the ears of those who are still 
idle, although they have too much reason to 
fear that their day of grace is winding up. 

(1.) When the natural day is drawing to a 
close, the heat abates, and the chilling influ- 
ence of approaching night is felt. — Even so, 
when the day of grace is drawing to a close , 
29* 



338 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



the warmth of religious feeling subsides, and 
the chilling, freezing, deadening influence of 
sin, conies over the soul. O ! if they are any 
present who were once excited on the subject 
of religion ; who, at some past period, when 
they mused upon their lost condition, had the 
fire to burn within, but have now a cold heart, 
and have lost all concern about their future 
salvation, they have awful reason to fear that 
they have grieved the Spirit, and that he is 
now leaving them, it may be for ever ! Yes, if 
after having been blessed with awakening in- 
fluences, their hearts have become cold and 
worldly minded, they have now but too much 
reason to fear that with them the third hour is 
gone ! — the sixth hour is gone ! — the ninth hour 
rolled away ! and that the eleventh hour is 
come. " Why stand ye here all the day idle ?" 

(2.) When the natural day is drawing to a 
close, light diminishes and darkness begins to 
steal over the face of creation. — Thus, about 
the eleventh hour of the day of grace, spiritual 
light grows dim, and judicial darkness thickens 
upon the soul. The illuminations of the Di- 
vine Spirit frequently issue in the sound con- 
version of the soul unto God ; sometimes, how- 
ever, they do not. They make visible the 
strait gate and narrow way, but being resisted, 
the sinner after all is left to perish in his sin. 
This is truly an awful case, for, according to 
the Apostle Peter, it were better not to have 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



339 



known the way of life, than after we have 
known it to turn from the holy command- 
ment. Yes, it were better never to have had 
the illuminations of the Spirit, than after we 
have had them, to have the shades of spi- 
ritual death to fall upon the soul ; for, in ad- 
dition to other sins laid to the charge of such 
persons, they will have to answer for quench- 
ing the Spirit. Are there not some present 
who can recollect the time when they had 
comparatively clear views of the value of the 
soul, the importance of religion, and the ne- 
cessity of the Saviour? How is it now? Have 
these things faded upon the view 1 Are they 
in a great measure hidden from their eyes ? 
Alas ! their case is an alarming one. They 
have reason to fear that their day of grace is 
drawing to a close ! — that the third hour is 
gone ! — and the sixth hour is gone ! — and the 
ninth hour has also rolled away ! — and that the 
eleventh hour is come ! O ! ye loiterers ! ye 
who are procrastinating and putting off to 
some future period, the claims of God and 
eternity — you have much reason to wake up 
and bestir yourselves, for your sun seems in- 
deed to be going down, and the shadows of 
evening lengthening around you. " Why 
stand ye here all the day idle ?" 

(3.) Once more : — When the natural day is 
drawing to a close, labourers are becoming 
weary of labour, and are more disposed to 



340 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



sit down, lie down, and slumber and sleep, than 
to toil and labour any more. — Just so it is with 
the spiritual idler about the close of the day 
of grace. Sometimes persons, during revivals, 
and at other times too, when under awakening 
influences, are greatly roused, take a lively in- 
terest in religious matters — set a great value 
upon all the means of grace — are willing, if 
necessary, to walk many miles to church, and 
that through rain, through mud and mire — • 
and are willing, moreover, to be personally 
conversed with on the subject of religion. Af- 
ter awhile, however, these persons begin to 
lose their interest in all such matters — begin 
to absent themselves from the house of God — 
complain that the sermon is too long, and the 
preacher too plain. And, like certain ones in 
the times of Amos the prophet, are ready to 
say of the Sabbath — " O what a weariness it 
is! when will the Sabbath be gone, that we 
may sell corn and set forth wheat?" Amos 
viii. 5. Moreover, if a pious friend speaks to 
them on the subject of religion, they have no 
relish for such conversation, and are ready to 
say, " Let me alone." Alas ! the case is clear; 
such have grieved the Spirit of God; he is 
withdrawing his quickening influences, and 
the consequence is, religion is becoming irk- 
some, and all its duties tiresome ; and having 
lost the interest which they once felt in reli- 
gious matters, they would now much rather 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 341 

lie down in spiritual sloth, and slumber and 
sleep in carnal security, than labor to enter 
into the promised land. Are there any in this 
house whom this picture suits? I solemnly de- 
clare I would not be in their case for a thou- 
sand worlds, for they have awful reason to fear 
that the shades of night are gathering around 
them, even the shades of that "long, dark, 
dark night, which has no morn beyond it, and 
no star." O ! it is a dreadful thing to be aban- 
doned of the Spirit, and to be given over to a 
hard heart and a reprobate mind ! And yet 
there is such a thing as the day of grace 
closing before death comes. How awful the 
thought ! Whilst the sinner is in the midst 
of his sins, and in the midst of health, too, 
the sentence may go forth against him — 
" Ephraim is joined to his idols, let him alone ;" 
and then, although yet on earth, he is sealed 
over to wrath. Passing along the road you 
look over the fence and see an old field ; the 
trees, cut down, are lying upon the ground, 
and rotting there. This may represent the 
sinner, cut down by the hand of death, his 
body laid in the grave, and his soul sunk 
deeper than the grave. Passing along, you 
see another old field. The trees are not 
cut down, it is true, but none are alive ; 
although standing, they are all dead. Their 
branches are dry, and there is no foliage there. 
How is this ? The axeman has girdled them ; 



342 IDLENESS REPROVED. 

the showers descend and the winds of heaven 
pass over them ; their branches rattle in the 
breeze, but there is no verdure, no foliage any 
more. O, procrastinating sinner ! remember, 
God may girdle you this day ; and should he 
do it, I tell you the truth, it will be all over 
with you for ever. Hence this language of 
Scripture, " Woe also to them when I depart 
from them," saith the Lord. Hos. ix. 12. In 
such a case, all the moral and religious sensi- 
bilities of the soul are deadened. The heart 
becomes like rock, like adamant. As the dead 
man feels not the burning of the coal lodged in 
his bosom, and as the flinty rock feels not the 
softening influences of the showers of heaven, 
so it is with the sinner when his day of grace 
is brought to a close. He is past feeling and 
past hope. Have any persons present, then, 
any reason whatever to believe that the ele- 
venth hour is come with them ? Surely it is 
high time for them to wake up — to enter the 
vineyard, and diligently to prepare for a better 
world. " Why stand ye here all the day idle ?" 

Having pointed out those who are spiritually 
idle, and those who have probably reached the 
eleventh hour, suffer me now to expostulate 
and conclude. O, ye who have neglected the 
great concern, and have suffered so much of 
your day of grace to pass away unimproved, 
" why stand ye here all the day idle V What 
reason can you give 1 Have you no souls ? or is 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 343 



it a matter of no consequence to you whether 
they be happy or miserable, saved or damned, 
in the world to come ? Have you spent the 
third, sixth, and ninth hour in idleness, and 
will you spend in the same way the eleventh 
also ? What ! this little remnant of the day of 
grace, which through mercy yet remains to 
you, will you spend that in idleness also ? Will 
you approve of this upon a dying bed? Will 
you justify it amid the thunders of the last 
great day ! O, tell me, then, " Why stand ye 
here all the day idle ?" 

Do you say that no one has invited you ? 
What ! no pious friend, no mother, no sister, 
no companion, no minister, no man of God? 
Can you say this ? My brother, beloved pastor 
of this church, have you never invited them? 
O yes, I am sure you have most affectionately 
and most earnestly, and may I not almost add 
times and ways without number ! Can you not 
recollect, my friends, how on such an occasion 
this man of God entered the sacred desk, hav- 
ing unusual solemnity depicted in his counte- 
nance. You recollect he took his text, and rea- 
soned concerning righteousness, temperance, 
and a judgment to come ; as he proceeded he 
waxed warm. He filled his mouth with argu- 
ments ; he brought the high claims of God and 
eternity to bear powerfully upon the under- 
standing, the conscience, and the heart. And 
what was this ? It was my brother's plan of . 



344 



IDLENESS REPROVED, 



inviting you to enter into the vineyard ; and 
when he saw that you were unaffected, the 
man of God wept! O how sacred are the tears 
of the faithful and affectionate pastor, weeping 
over those of his charge who refuse to attend 
to the great concern ! It is the spirit of the 
prophet, who said, If ye will not hear, my 
soul shall weep in secret places for your pride. 
Yea it is the Spirit of the blessed Jesus him- 
self, who beheld the city and wept over it, say- 
ing, " If thou hadst known, even thou, at least 
in this thy day, the things which make for thy 
peace, but now they are hidden from thine 
eyes." But to proceed: When my brother saw 
that his reasonings were not regarded, and that 
his arguments produced no impression, you 
recollect he changed his voice, and, so to speak, 
taking you by the hand, he led you to the gate 
of the celestial city, and pointing out the glories 
and the joys of that happy world, and that you 
might finally have a happy entrance there, he 
urged you to attend to the great concern. And 
when he saw you still careless — again the man 
of God wept ! What a loud call was this from 
your beloved pastor, to enter into the vineyard ! 
But this was not all : when he saw you careless 
still, he was ready to give up and retire in des- 
pondency; but the thought of the value of 
your precious souls, and his own responsibility, 
roused him to make yet another effort. In his 
description, he led you to the borders of the pit ; 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 345 

he drew aside the curtain ; he pointed out to 
you the world of wo, and caused you to hear, 
as it were, the wailings of those who had lost 
their day, and were now crying out in anguish, 
" The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and 
we are not saved." And what was this, but 
another effort of my brother to rouse you, and 
to press you to enter into the vineyard 1 What ! 
no one invited you? Yes, methinks your pious 
father did ; and it was in a solemn hour ! It 
was on a dying bed ! Some one told you that 
your father was very ill, and wished to see 
you ! You trembled, and hastened to obey the 
summons ; with solemn feelings you entered 
the door of his chamber. The curtains were 
down ! the room was darkened ! Silence and 
grief reigned there ! Silence, still as the grave, 
except broken by the light footsteps of those 
who passed gently over the carpeted floor ; or 
the low whisperings of those who marked the 
sad symptoms of approaching death, or, per- 
chance, broken by the hard breathing of the 
one who was now drawing near his end ! With 
a trembling heart, you approached the bed-side 
of your dying parent. He saw you, and took, 
you by the hand. His hand was cold as clay, 
and the sweat of death was upon his pale brow ! 
He pressed your hand, and looked you in the 
face. Can you ever forget that look 1 It spoke 
volumes ! He wished to speak, but he was very 
feeble — again he pressed your hand, and said, 
30 



346 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



"God bless you, my child! Meet me in hea- 
ven!" Then, looking up, he said, " Precious 
Saviour, I am ready now ! Come, Lord Jesus ! 
come quickly!" And while you were looking 
on, he ceased to breathe, and was with his God! 
And was this no call? O yes,youhave received 
a call from the very threshold of heaven — aye, 
and from one who loved you, and longed to 
meet you in that happy world. How can you, 
then, say that no one has invited you? "Why 
stand ye here all the day idle ?" 

Do you say that the work is too great? I 
know it is too great for your unaided strength, 
but you may obtain strength from on high. 
Yes, there is a power divine, which stands 
ready to afford all needful aid. This power 
has sufficed for many. It may suffice for you. 
There is not a want in the sinner, but there is 
a corresponding fulness in the blessed Saviour. 
Fear not, says this heavenly friend to the 
trembling soul — fear not, I will help thee, I 
will strengthen thee, yea, I will uphold thee 
by the right hand of my righteousness. 

Perhaps you think the work so easy, it 
may be accomplished at any time, even in 
your last moments. To be sure it might, if 
God should then give you grace. But are you 
sure that he will ? Is it likely ? When you 
have given the best of your days to the service 
of the devil, is it reasonable to suppose that 
God will accept of the dregs ? 0 ! how many 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



347 



a poor sinner is snatched away without warn- 
ing. How many go delirious to their graves. 
And how many, if not delirious, are racked 
with pain. How many are stupid. How many 
are too feeble to bear any excitement ; and 
how many are purely under the influence of 
fear. O ! how unwise, and O ! how perilous 
it is, to put off to the last moment that which 
should engage our first and most serious con- 
cern? I could tell you of some death-bed 
scenes, but I spare you. "Why stand ye here 
all the day idle ?" 

Do you say that the householder is not wil- 
ling to receive you? " Say unto them, as I 
live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure 
in the death of the wicked, but that he turn 
and live. Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye 
die, O house of Israel!" Say not then that 
the householder is not willing to receive you; 
at least, say it not until, with all your heart, 
you have entreated his favour and he has 
frowned you away. 

Do you say that the reward is not enough? 
What! to have our sins forgiven, is this no- 
thing? to have our peace made with heaven, 
is this nothing? and to be adopted into the 
family of the Great God, is this nothing? The 
reward not enough! What! when we are 
about to die, to find ourselves under the shadow 
of the Almighty. Is this nothing? To find 
ourselves encircled in the arms of everlasting 



348 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



love, is this nothing? To find ourselves en- 
compassed by angels, and just on the wing for 
glory, is this nothing 7 And when the soul is 
dislodged from its earthly tenement, to be car- 
ried by angels into Abraham's bosom — to hear 
the plaudit, "Well done, good and faithful ser- 
vant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" — 
to see the King in his beauty — to be robed and 
crowned, and emparadised in heaven — and to 
be associated with the spirits of the just made 
perfect, and to live and reign with Christ in 
glory everlasting — is all this nothing? O ! my 
brethren, the rewards are the rewards of grace, 
they are the purchase of a Saviour's blood, 
and therefore will be rich and great beyond 
all the power of language to express, or the 
heart of man to conceive. Immortal man! lose 
not the prize held up before you. Be up and 
a-doing ! "Why stand ye here all the day idle?" 
O ! think how much is at stake ! even your 
own soul — your own precious soul ! O ! who 
can tell its value ! Suppose this world were a 
globe of gold, and each star in yonder firma- 
ment a jewel of the first order, and the moon 
a diamond, and the sun literally a crown of 
all created glory — one soul, in value, would 
outweigh them all. Here is a man standing 
on board of a vessel at sea, holding his hands 
over the sides of the vessel, he is sporting 
with a jewel, worth a hundred thousand dol- 
lars, and which too is all his fortune. Play- 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



349 



ing with his jewel, he throws it up and catches 
it — throws it up and catches it ! A friend no- 
ticing the brilliancy of the jewel, warns him 
of the danger of losing it, and tells him that 
if it slip through his fingers, it goes down to 
the bottom of the deep, and can be recovered 
no more. " O ! there is no danger," says he, 
" I have been doing this a long time, and you 
see I have not lost it yet." Again he throws it 
up, and — it is gone! past recovery — gonef 
O ! when the man finds that his jewel is in- 
deed lost, and by his own folly lost, who can 
describe his agony, as he exclaims, "I have 
lost my jewel, my fortune, my all !" O ! sin- 
ner, hear me ; casketed in your bosom, you 
have a jewel of infinitely greater value; in 
idling away your precious time, you are in 
danger of losing that pearl of price unknown. 
In other words, neglecting the interests of 
your precious soul, you are in danger of being 
lost for ever. O ! why neglect any longer the 
great concern 1 Many of your dearest friends 
are in the vineyard, why linger you without i 
"Why stand ye here all the day idle?" 

Well, the evening will come, when the Lord 
of the vineyard will say to his steward,- — 
"Call the labourers and give them their hire." 
O, glorious hour! O, sweet coronation day! 
How will the labourers come! From the east 
and from the west, from the north and from 
the south. Millions crowding upon millions ! 
30* 



350 



IDLENESS REPROVED. 



Christians of every communion, and the pious 
from out of every nation under heaven. With 
what joy will they come around the heavenly 
Householder, and at his hand receive the high 
rewards of grace. Methinks with a smile he 
will reach out to them the crown — the glitter- 
ing crown; and they will take the crown — the 
glittering crown, and sing and shout, — "O to 
grace how great a debtor!" And he will give 
the robe — the spotless robe ; and they will take 
the robe — the spotless robe, and sing and shout, 
"O to grace how great a debtor!" And now 
all heaven rings jubilee, as the ransomed of the 
Lord return and come to this heavenly Zion, 
with songs and everlasting joy upon their 
heads. But the idlers ! — those who all their 
lives long neglected the great concern ! — who 
died without repentance and without faith! — 
where are they ? Alas ! they are far away ! 
There is no robe for them ! no crown for them ! 
no heaven for them ! They have lost their day, 
and they have lost their soul ! and now nothing 
remains for them but thrilling remorse and 
black despair. O, my procrastinating friends ! 
you have one call more. It may be the call of 
the eleventh hour, and your last. Surely it is 
high time to think about eternity. It is high 
time to enter into the vineyard. Then, "Why 
stand ye here all the day idle ?" 



351 



APPENDIX. 



In the year 1835, I received a letter from a Christian 
brother in the state of New- York, requesting my sen- 
timents on several subjects connected with protracted 
meetings, revivals, &c, to which I replied in substance 
as follows : 

Frankfort, Kentucky. 26th May, 1835. 
Dear Brother — Your communication of the 28th 
ult. came to hand in due course of mail. The subject 
of revivals or religious reformation, is certainly one 
of great importance, and should be well understood, 
more especially as there are some in the bosom of the 
Church, excellent Christians, too, who labour under 
prejudices which have a withering influence, both 
upon themselves and those around them. Having 
heard that I have acted as an Evangelist, and that 
I have been in many revivals, you wish me to stale 
something of what I have seen and heard, together 
with the results of my experience and observation. 
Fifteen years of my life have been devoted to the 
duties of the pastoral office, and only about three to 
the work of an Evangelist, so called. It was chiefly 
whilst officiating in the latter capacity, that I had the 
pleasure of witnessing the varied and rich displays of 
the grace of God in the conversion of sinners ; and 



352 



APPENDIX. 



although I am again a pastor, settled amongst an 
affectionate people, whom I tenderly love, and to 
whom, I humbly trust, my labours have not been in 
vain in the Lord, yet I must confess, that I look back 
to the period when I acted as an Evangelist, as the 
happiest in my life, because it was the period of most 
labour and most usefulness. My plan was, (having 
obtained the approbation of the proper ecclesiastical 
bodies.) to have a series of protracted meetings, spread- 
ing over a wide extent of country, and so arranging 
matters that I might have incessant employment. 
I laboured chiefly in South-Carolina and Virginia, 
but attended numerous meetings also in Florida, Ala- 
bama, Georgia, North-Carolina, and Ohio. It pleased 
God in the course of three years to make me an eye 
witness of many interesting scenes; and I have sub- 
sequently inquired with much solicitude about re- 
sults, and find that there are lights and shadows — 
matter for joy and sorrow ; but, thank God, upon the 
whole, that which is cheering, far, very far, exceeds 
that which is of an opposite character. But you wish 
me to be more particular on certain points. 

1. Mental excitement. — You ask whether it has 
usually been very strong ? I answer, strong enough to 
produce deep anxiety ; strong enough to extort the 
penitential cry ; and, in many cases, strong enough to 
keep the eyes wakeful through the shades of night, 
and occasion tears, and sometimes sobbing in the 
prayer-meeting and house of God. Generally speak- 
ing, however, silence and solemnity reigned in our 
public and social meetings ; and cases of disorder and 
extravagance have been very rare. In about eighty 
revivals of religion, averaging thirty converts each, I 
do not suppose there were more than eight or ten 



APPENDIX. 



353 



cases of outcries ; and in nearly all of them order and 
stillness were immediately restored, by simply repeat- 
ing this beautiful passage of Scripture, "The Lord is 
in his holy temple, let all the earth keep silence be- 
fore him !" 

2. Measures. — I must confess I have seen some 
things practised which I could not approve. With 
regard to myslf, I may have erred, but my rule has 
been to confine myself to no set of measures whatever; 
for my opinion has been and still is, that a measure 
which might be useful in one place, may be positively 
injurious in another. I have therefore varied them, 
according to times, and places, and circumstances. 
My general plan in conducting a protracted meeting 
has been this: After the first sermon, I come down 
from the pulpit, and address professors of religion, who 
are respectfully requested to occupy the seats imme- 
diately in front. This measure, if you choose to term 
it such, has usually had a remarkably happy effect. 
After the second or third sermon, come down from 
the pulpit again, and address the youth grouped in 
the same way. Sometimes, however, it has been 
found best to meet them in the lecture-room. At 
some suitable time and place, an appointment is made 
(if in town or city,) for men of business. And when 
the religious excitement is manifestly spreading and 
deepening, I have found it of very great service to 
have a meeting exclusively for the unconverted. Chris- 
tians being gathered together at the same time in an- 
other place, praying. This meeting has usually been 
extremely well attended, and has scarcely ever failed 
to be crowned with a remarkable blessing. In giving 
out the notice, however, I have found it very impor- 
tant to do it properly, so as to excite curiosity, but not 



354 



APPENDIX. 



awaken prejudice. I have been careful to give assu- 
rances that there was no intention to lay snares for 
them, but simply that they should be addressed in a 
respectful and affectionate manner. The lawyer wishes 
to see the jury whom he addresses. This is natural. 
The eye affects the heart. And why should not the 
minister have distinctly before him the characters 
whom he wishes particularly to address ? 

When certain individuals are known to be under 
serious impressions, an invitation is sometimes given, 
on peculiarly solemn occasions, for those who are se- 
rious, and who desire an interest in the prayers of 
God's people, to come forward, or kneel at their seats. 
This measure I once did not approve, but experience 
has taught me that it has a tendency to break down 
the pride of the heart, give decision of character, en- 
courage ministers, and rouse the people of God to 
more earnest and effectual prayer. I am free however 
to confess, that in places where such an invitation is not 
expected, in my opinion it is not expedient. The invi- 
tation is sometimes given in the great congregation, 
but more generally in meetings of a more select and 
private character. Inquiry, or anxious meetings, have 
been found much called for, and of great benefit. 
The plan suggested by a venerable and much es- 
teemed father in our church, of inviting the serious 
to remain after sermon, may answer in some cases, 
but I confess I do not much like it, and for this simple 
reason: — when the congregation is dismissed, the cur- 
rent sets so strongly towards the door, that it is almost 
impossible to resist it. It is, I think, much better to 
have the anxious gathered together in a more private 
place, and with less observation. Before the pro- 
tracted meeting is brought to a close, it is almost my 



APPENDIX. 



355 



invariable practice to have an appointment for chil- 
dren, from four to twelve years of age, parents also 
being particularly requested to attend. This meeting 
has proved, on almost every occasion, one of special 
interest. I have seen the attention of the dear little 
ones fixed, chained, for nearly an hour, their eyes 
sparkling with pleasure, and occasionally dimmed 
with tears ; and I have noticed that many parents 
have been reached through their children, who would, 
it seems, be reached in no other way. Simplicity will 
please little children, and will touch parents too. I 
confidently expect to meet in glory many parents and 
children who will praise God for ever for meetings of 
this kind. In all my plans, my aim has been to keep 
divine truth in contact with the mind as long as possi- 
ble without jading; for it is divine truth, sent home 
by the Spirit of God, that produces the efiFect desired, 
that accomplishes the change upon the sinner more 
glorious than the garnishing of the heavens ; and I 
have observed, that by grouping classes, and diversi- 
fying addresses, the attention is oftentimes renewed, 
and the interest kept up to an extent that is really 
wonderful. Besides holding special meetings for the 
particular classes mentioned, I have been in the habit 
of having a meeting for mothers, and I can truly say 
that such meetings have proved interesting and bene- 
ficial. 

3. With regard to the " divisions" which follow in 
the churches,*' I am happy to say I have seen or heard 
very little of this. My plan has been, from the com- 
mencement of the meeting, to inculcate the great im- 
portance of brotherly love, and to urge upon all the 
duty of possessing and manifesting a kind regard for 
each other's sentiments and feelings, and modes of 



356 



APPENDIX. 



worship. Harmony, I may say, has characterized all 
our meetings, and from what I have seen and known, 
I am persuaded that, in all ordinary circumstances, 
there need be no difficulty, for there is something- 
beautiful and sweet in the Christian spirit; and this 
spirit is made peculiarly manifest in seasons of re- 
freshing from the presence of the Lord. Only let 
ministers avoid all uncharitable and censorious re- 
marks; let them be ever kind and conciliatory — let 
them aim, not at building up a particular church or 
party, but let them seek simply the glory of God in 
the conversion of sinners, and if they existed before, 
all jarrings will soon cease, and all prejudices soon 
vanish away. The Spirit of God working upon the 
unrenewed mind, converts the lion into a lamb, the 
vulture into a dove; and shall not the same spirit 
soften down those who have already been renewed? 

With regard to Evangelists, I think in our church 
there is great occasion for them ; but V would remark, 
it is matter of the last importance that they be pru- 
dent, and under the influence of a right spirit. Two 
things are indispensable: — First, that they go only 
where they are invited by the proper authorities of 
the church ; and secondly, that in all things they con- 
sult the wishes, and submit to the will, of the pastor. 
I would further observe, that it is of the last import- 
ance that the evangelist should duly appreciate the 
sacredness and responsibility of the pastoral office, 
always speaking highly of the stated means of grace. 
And one main object, I think, which he should ever 
have in view, is to strengthen the reciprocal affection 
of pastor and people ; and to this end it is extremely 
desirable that every evangelist should have himself 
been a pastor. 



APPENDIX. 



357 



4. In relation to the Press, I would say, our reli- 
gious papers render substantial aid to the cause of 
Zion. They are of immense service, containing often- 
times information of an extremely valuable character, 
and circulating intelligence which comes to us, "like 
cold water to the thirsty soul." But frequently the 
accounts which are given of protracted meetings and 
revivals, are . too highly colored, and sometimes there 
is a freedom of remark indulged in, which, to say the 
least, is not good to the use of edifying. Alas, poor 
human nature ! Every thing is stamped with imper- 
fection in this world. 

Before I close this letter, permit me to say some- 
thing on the subject of revivals in general, for there 
are many groundless prejudices. Some tell us, " they 
know not what a revival of religion means." When 
we speak of the revival of commerce, or the revival of 
learning, or the revival of a plant, the meaning is 
clearly understood. Why not, with equal ease, un- 
derstand what is meant by the revival of religion. 
" But so many persons are converted at the same 
time ! Is it not all sympathy V The work is the 
work of God, and surely He that originally grouped 
the stars in the firmament of heaven, can with equal 
ease, group those who are to shine as stars for ever 
and ever. " But is there not a great deal of extrava- 
gance ?" No, not if the ministers are prudent, and 
the meetings are properly conducted, and closed at 
proper hours. "Are there no individual cases of 
fanaticism ? No excesses whatever V Perhaps occa- 
sionally there may be. What then ? The excesses of 
Carlstadt, and the fanaticism of the Anabaptists of 
Germany, did much to bring the Reformation into dis- 
repute ; but where is the American, where the lover 
31 



358 



APPENDIX. 



of civil and religious liberty, who will not bless God 
for the glorious Reformation, notwithstanding the ex- 
cesses of Carlstadt, and the fanaticism of the Anabap- 
tists of Germany ? * " But can sinners be converted so 

* As the Anabaptists of Germany have been subjected, by 
many, to unmerited obloquy, on account of the transactions at 
Munster, we deem it due to them, and the cause of truth, to 
append a few remarks in reference to the scenes then and there 
enacted. 

We remark, in the first place, that the Anabaptists, in their at- 
tempts to revolutionize the city of Munster, did no more than Pro- 
testant Lutherans had done before them. 

Dupin, a Catholic historian and a bitter enemy of the Ana- 
baptists, informs us that in 1532, the city council of Munster 
admitted the "Protestant ministers." These were principally 
Lutherans. The term Protestant, at that time, was applied only 
to those who united in a protestation against the proceedings of 
the Diet at Spires, in 1529. The Anabaptists were deemed un- 
worthy to enter a council, or to join in any protestation or pub- 
lic act with other dissenters. The "Protestant ministers" were 
no sooner permitted to enter the city, than they sought to parti- 
cipate also in the administration of civil affairs, and set them- 
selves to work to reform the government. The first step 
necessary to be taken, was the deposition of the "bishops and 
clergy" of the Roman church. In this they succeeded with 
but little difficulty. "To be revenged for this," says Dupin, 
"the Bishop blocked up the city, and the Burghers having made 
a sally upon the Bishop's troops, took a great many prisoners." 
They subsequently availed themselves of the advantages afforded 
by this victory to secure their liberties without any further haz- 
ard in the tented field. By means of the prisoners whom they 
had taken, they succeeded in forming a treaty with the Bishop 
and his party, in which it was stipulated that " both Catholics 
and Protestants should live in peace in the city." The treaty 
was duly signed, February 14tb, 1533. 

About the close of the same year, the Anabaptists made their 
appearance ; but they soon found that the toleration extended 
to the Lutherans was not to be extended to them. The princi- 
ple upon which the Romanists proceeded, four years before, 
when threatened with an invasion by Solyman, was again adopted. 
On that memorable occasion, their necessities compelled them 



APPENDIX. 



359 



suddenly ?" In every case, perhaps without excep- 
tion, they go the round to work out their own right- 
eousness before they submit to Christ ; but after all, 
is not regeneration instantaneous? Is not this doc- 
trine recognized in all our standard works ? Is it not 
the doctrine of the Bible ? " But are there no spu- 
rious conversions T" There may be ; and are we not 
taught to expect such things in the 13th chapter of 
Matthew? Spurious conversions ? And are all pure 
gold who come into the church when there is no spe- 
cial excitement ? Spurious conversions ! A friend 
makes me a present of a bundle of bank bills in the 
hour of my necessity. On examining them, I find one 
or two counterfeits. Shall I send back the bundle and 
despise the gift ? " But does not the excitement soon 
cease ? There is no necessity for it. I have heard 

to issue an edict, enjoining "that all the members of the empire 
should live in peace, and commit no hostility under pretext of 
religion ;" but in the same edict was a clause requiring " that 
the sect of Anabaptists should be proscribed." (Dupin, vol. 4, 
ch. ix. p, 29-30, ed. 3— London— 1724) 

The historian, after closing his account of the treaty formed 
between the Romanists and Lutherans, proceeds to notice the 
rise and progress of the Anabaptists in that region. "Such was 
the state of that city," says he, " when John Becold of Leyden," 
&c. The Bishop and his party besieged the city, as they had 
done when it was in possession of the Lutherans. The besieg- 
ed sallied out and effectually repulsed them, but again the Bishop 
mustered his forces, and again laid siege to the city.. A second 
sally was made, in which John Matthew was killed. John Be- 
cold then assumed the reins of government. He proved himself 
to be an ambitious and licentious profligate, according to the tes- 
timony of our author, remodeled the government as the Luther- 
ans had done before him, and through the instrumentality of a 
pretended prophet, Tuscochieri, was declared king and crowned 
June 24th, 1534. His reign, however, proved a short one ; for 
the States of the Provinces assisted the Bishop, and the city was 
retaken June 24th, 1535, just one year after his coronation.*' — 



360 



APPENDIX. 



of a revival which lasted two years, another which 
lasted six years, and I think the Bible tells me of one 
which is to last a thousand years ! It is our privilege 
to have not merely a shower, but a whole day's set- 
rain. Suppose, however, the positive excitement is 
not lasting, may not much good fruit nevertheless re- 
main ? A refreshing shower comes in time of drought, 
and vegetation takes a start. A few days after, the soil 
is dry again. Did the shower therefore do no good ? 
" But do not some of the converts, so called, fall away V 9 
Be it so. Go into your orchard ; your trees are in full 
bloom, some of those blossoms are going to fall 
away without fruit. What then ? Would you have 
no blossoms at all ; or would you have only two or 
three blossoms this year, and two or three the next 7 
According to a calculation which I have made, only 

"Rotman was killed in the siege — Becold and Knipperdoling 
were taken prisoners and suffered the punishment they deserv- 
ed," says the author — which, of course, was death. 

This is a succinct history of the whole affair. There is no 
evidence that the Anabaptists, as a body, committed greater out- 
rages than the Lutherans, while there is direct evidence that 
they were more oppressed. Both parties resorted to arms for 
the same object — to secure civil and religious liberty. The one 
succeeded in securing these by treaty ; with the other, Roman- 
ists would not even enter into negotiations, being resolved on 
their total extermination. The Anabaptists were unfortunate in 
their leaders ; but there is no evidence that they approved of or 
sanctioned their moral improprieties. There is, however, satis- 
factory evidence that the Anabaptists, in other parts of Germany, 
censured severely the proceedings of the actors in the tragic 
scenes at Munster, and disavowed all fellowship with them. 
If we may brand a whole denomination with infamy for the atro- 
cities committed by the few, (such was, evidently, not the de- 
sign of the author,) what denomination can stand unblemished 1 
Let the christian reader ponder well this inquiry ; and may 
truth, justice and charity, maintain their rightful sway in every 
heart. 



APPENDIX. 



361 



about one in fifteen or twenty of those hopefully con- 
verted, fall away. And what then ? Here is a revival, 
and one hundred profess conversion, but only one half 
are really converted and saved from the damnation of 
hell, and brought home to God and to glory ! Is that 
nothing? I think I have somewhere read that there 
is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one 
sinner that repenteth. But you know how frivolous 
are the objections so frequently ur^ed, so I need say 
no more. 

Your Brother in Christ, 

Daniel Baker. 



31* 



362 



APPENDIX, 



INTERESTING RECOLLECTIONS. 



Facts are beautiful things, and not unfrequently 
they furnish fine illustrations of sentiments and doc- 
trines, known and believed by all who respect the 
sacred volume. In the Pastor's Journal, I have 
noticed a variety of cases related by those who were 
eye-witnesses of what they communicated ; and I 
verily believe that the publication of them has proved 
to be exceedingly useful. Having myself during 
many revivals of religion, witnessed a number of very 
interesting things, I thought it proper to make a 
record of them, some of which are now laid before 
the public, as a suitable appendage to the foregoing 
sermons, and illustrative of certain passages of Scrip- 
ture often quoted. 

ASK AND "Y E SHALL RECEIVE. 

1. In a certain town in Georgia, lived Mrs. M., 
a pious widow lady. She had two sons in aMistant 
State, whom she had not seen for many years. They 
w T ere thoughtless young men, and avowedly- infidel 
in their sentiments. She received a letter from her 
sons promising an early visit. About this period an 
arrangement was made with myself, to hold a pro- 
tracted meeting in the place of Mrs. M.'s residence, 



APPENDIX. 



363 



so soon as it would suit my convenience. The pious 
mother, exceedingly anxious for the conversion of 
her long absent and beloved sons, made it a matter 
of special prayer, that the Providence of God would 
so order matters that the visit of her sons, and the 
contemplated meeting-, might take place at the same 
time. The young men came ; remained several days, 
and then said they must return. They fixed on Fri- 
day night, when they must go without fail, in the 
stage. Poor mother ! the meeting to which she looked 
forward with so much anxiety, had not commenced. 
The minister had not arrived. It seemed as if her 
prayers had availed nothing. On the morning of the 
day fixed for their departure she was told that the 
minister was come, and the first sermon would be 
preached that very night. How tantalizing ! But 
mark the ingenuity of a pious mother ! Having 
ascertained that the stage would not go that evening 
until 9 or 10 o'clock, she entreated her sons to go to 
church, and there remain until the sounding of the 
stage horn should summon them away. I believe 
that most mothers would have said, I have not seen 
my sons for a long time ; I may never see them any 
more. I believe I will not go to church myself, this 
evening. I will enjoy their company as long as I 
can. But no ! Had she not offered special prayer 
that they might be present and receive a blessing 
at that meeting? " Come, my sons, go with me to 
church this evening, and hear what you can." They 
yielded. They went ; and that night God answered 
the mother's prayers. Both were brought under 
powerful conviction. Near the closing of the ser- 
vices of the sanctuary, the sounding of the stage horn 
was heard, sure enough. According to arrangement 



364 



APPENDIX. 



they hurried away to the office — but, behold ! the 
stage was full ! They were obliged to remain until 
Monday following. On the Sabbath we had a most 
solemn time. When the anxious were invited to 
come forward, or kneel at their seat, if they desired 
the prayers of God's people, (according to the custom 
of that place,) several immediately knelt at their seats. 
Two young men came forward and kneeled near the 
desk — and only two. I saw an elderly lady at some 
distance, rise, and leaning forward, she fastened her 
tearful eyes upon them. It was the mother, and these 
young men were her sons ! Many eyes were fixed 
upon her, but nobody said, Madam, sit down. — No ! 
It was a sacred sight. Heaven bless the mother ! Let 
her stand. Let her look on. O ! it was worth an angel's 
visit from the skies ! That day both of these young 
men obtained a joyful hope. Verily, it would have 
touched a heart of rock to have seen the sons, both of 
them throwing their arms around the neck of their 
beloved mother — now a thousand times, dearer than 
ever — and telling her that the Lord had heard her 
prayers, and blessed them, as they hoped, with his for- 
giving love ! Verily, the name of Jesus, in that mo- 
ment uttered by them, came over her with all the 
sweetness and the power of a charm. 

I saw the happy mother. She grasped my hand. 
She wept. The tears which rolled down her cheeks 
were tears of religious joy. For a few moments she 
was silent. When she spoke she blessed God, and 
said, in the very words of Mary, "My soul doth mag- 
nify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my 
Saviour, for he hath regarded the low estate of his 
hand-maiden." Verily there is a God in the heavens 



APPENDIX. 



365 



who heareth prayer ! One of those sons, I am told, 
is now a preacher. Take another case. 

2. Whilst a meeting of much interest was going on 
in a certain country town in Virginia, Mr. K., a pious 
young man, selected a young lawyer who was a noted 
scorner, and made him the subject of special prayer. 
About two days afterwards the young lawyer came to 
the house where the pastor was. I myself was in the 
same house at the time, but being particularly engag- 
ed, I requested the pastor to speak to him. "O," says 
he, " he is not serious." Yes, I replied, he must be, 
or he would not come here. "I know him better 
than you do," said the pastor, " he is a scorner. There 
is no hope of him." The young lawyer was permit- 
ted to depart, I believe, without a single religious re- 
mark having been made to him. My conjectures 
were true. He was then under awakening influ- 
ences. 

Perhaps two weeks after that, this young lawyer, 
= now rejoicing in Christ, was riding along the road on 
his way to a protracted meeting, about to be held in 
an adjacent county. Before he reached the place, he 
fell in with another young man, Mr. P., going to the 
same meeting. Religious conversation was introduc- 
ed, and the awakened lawyer spoke freely of the 
change of views and feelings which he had experienc- 
ed, and ascribed them, under God, to the prayers of 
his friend, Mr. K., who had selected him as the sub- 
ject of special prayer. " Ah !" said Mr. P., " I had 
friends once who used to pray for me ; but I have 
been so careless, so wicked, they do not think it worth 
while to pray for me now. They have all given me 
up. There is not an individual I suppose on earth 
who remembers me in prayer." " O yes," replied the 



366 



APPENDIX. 



young lawyer, " there is one, I know." "Who is it?" 
quickly asked Mr. P. " The very same who prayed 
for me has made you the subject of special prayer." 
" Is it possible !" said Mr. P., and throwing himself 
back, he had well nigh fallen from the horse upon 
which he was riding. From that moment he waked 
up to the claims of his undying soul. A few days 
after, with great joy, he was telling to those around 
what a dear Saviour he had found. Blessed be God, 
the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avail- 
eth much. Take another case. 

3. During a protracted meeting held in S — , Alaba- 
ma, two daughters of Zion met every day to pray 
together for their beloved husbands, who were highly 
respectable, but strangers to God's converting grace. 
One was a moralist, so called ; the other an avowed 
infidel. Before the meeting closed, both of those were, 
I believe, soundly converted. The latter died some 
time after in great triumph ; the former continues to 
this day, if I mistake not, a much valued member of 
the church of Christ with which he first united him- 
self. 

4. A meeting which led to some important and 

happy results, took place some years since in , 

Georgia. Religion was at a low ebb in that place. 
There were sad jarrings amongst those who were 
taught by their Master to love one another. The first 
sermon was preached on Saturday evening. ,On the 
Sabbath we had a pretty large congregation, and some 
considerable interest was manifested ; but right me- 
lancholy was it on Monday, to see how few came to 
the sanctuary. Scarcely any but females. The men 
of the place, generally, seemed to take no interest in 
the meeting whatever ; nay, some of them opposed, 



APPENDIX. 



367 



and even forbid their families attending. The meet- 
ing, however, went on, and of a truth the Lord was 
with us. By Wednesday morning something like 
ten females were hopefully converted, but not a sin- 
gle male, man or boy. Indeed, up to that hour we 
saw scarcely a single unconverted man (particularly 
during the day) in the church. We were not discour- 
aged — we resolved to hold on. That morning, at the 
prayer-meeting which preceded preaching, those pre- 
sent, (and a precious band it was,) were reminded, 
of what indeed they knew full well, that the men 
were still uninterested. The case of Paul was stated, 
who went to the place where prayer was wont to be 
made, and spake to certain women that resorted there, 
and the glorious results were also brought to their re- 
collection, and they were urged to offer up special and 
incessant prayer for the men. After preaching that 
morning there was much whispering. One said to 
another, as they were returning to their houses, "Did 
you see Captain H. at church this morning?" "Yes." 
"What brought him there?" "I don't know, but I 
certainly saw him." In the afternoon Captain H. was 
there again — and at night ! The next morning also ! 
" Why what is the matter ? Captain H. comes three 
times a day ! Well, this is strange !" But who is 
Captain H.? Why, a man of the world — a man of 
considerable influence, and supposed to be a sceptic. 
Moreover, a very firm and courageous man, who a 
few weeks before had arrested a man, when the she- 
riff, with all the force that he could get, could not ar- 
rest him. This is the man who, manifestly in answer 
to the prayers of the people of God, is brought to the 
sanctuary, and there led to consider his latter end. 
In the afternoon of Thursday he came again. Upon 



368 



APPENDIX. 



the close of the sermon, great seriousness being visi- 
ble, the anxious were invited to kneel at their seats if 
thepdesired to be prayed for. Immediately Captain 
H. dropped upon his knees, and two others were at 
his side. The thing was soon noised abroad, and the 
men began to flock in wonderfully. " Captain H. is 
becoming religious." " You don't say so ! Well, I 
will go and see." Soon Divine influences began to 
rest upon the men in a remarkable manner, and in a 
short time we had the happiness of seeing, among 
others, as many as eight or ten men who had pro- 
fessed to have found the Saviour precious to their 
souls. Captain H. has since become an active Chris- 
tian, and a superintendent of the Sabbath School in 
that place. 

" It shan't be said that praying breath 
Was ever spent in vain." 

WHEN THE LORD TURNED AGAIN OUR CAPTIVITY, 
WE WERE LIKE THEM THAT DREAMED. 

1 . During the great revival in B — , Mr. F., a talented 
lawyer, was numbered amongst the converts. His 
case was a very clear and delightful one. He was 
one of several, who, brought in at that time, have de- 
voted themselves to the gospel ministry. Already has 
Mr. F. entered the ministry — already has he been in- 
strumental in winning many souls to Christ. Imme- 
diately after his conversion, I called upon him. He 
was upon the mount ! With a countenance radiant 
with delight, he grasped my hand, and exclaimed, 
" O, sir, I have an ocean of joy !" 

2. When Mr. P. (the young man mentioned in the 
previous article,) obtained a hope of an interest in a 
Saviour's blood, he seemed to be one of the happiest 



APPENDIX. 



369 



creatures on earth. Every thing was new ; every 
thing delightful — the trees waving in the forest, the 
birds carolling in the groves, the sun shining in the 
heavens, and the dew drops sparkling with the beams 
of the morning, — all seemed to congratulate him upon 
his surprising and happy change. Standing, as it 
were, in a new world, he remarked, " I am a happy 
man ! I have had more happiness in one half hour 
since my conversion, than I thought I should have 
even in heaven P 

3. At a meeting in Florida, Mr. A., who had been 
a disciple of Fanny Wright, and a very profane man, 
was happily brought to feel the need of a Saviour. 
After very pungent convictions, he obtained a joyful 
hope. But the transition from the gloom of infidelity 
to the brightness of gospel day, was so great that he 
was literally like one that dreamed. He could scarce- 
ly believe that such a sinner as he had been, could find 
mercy ! It was almost too good to be true. Surely 
it must be a dream ! But no, — it is a blessed reality ! 
Tn this frame of mind, I recollect, he entered the in- 
quiry meeting, one day, and every now and then, in- 
dulged in some exclamation of joy. As there were a 
number of interesting persons present, who were only 
a little serious, I was fearful lest they might be pre- 
judiced by such things ; and in apologizing for Mr. A., 
I made a remark of this kind, that it was not at all 
surprising if a young convert should be almost wild 
with joy. Was not Archimedes wild with joy, when 
he had found out how to solve a certain problem? 
And, continued I, when a man of the world has drawn 
a prize in the lottery — twenty-five thousand dollars, 
for instance. — Here the converted infidel interrupted 
me, " Don't say twenty-five thousand dollars," said he, 




370 



APPENDIX. 



starting from his seat, " don't say twenty-five thousand 
dollars, sir, — say millions, sir, say millions !" 

BEHOLD HOW GOOD AND HOW PLEASANT IT IS FOR 
BRETHREN TO DWELL TOGETHER IN UNITY. 

1. During a protracted meeting held m G — , a plea - 
sant summer retreat, in one of our Southern States, an 
address was made to those who were professedly the 
people of God. Amongst other things, they were ex- 
horted to cherish a spirit of brotherly love, and if they 
had had any quarrel with another, to forgive. They 
were affectionately urged to pass an act of forgiveness, 
without delay, and to seize the very first opportunity 
to extend the hand, and to do it cordially. In about 
twenty minutes after, while the services were yet go- 
ing on, an elderly lady rose up, passed by me, and 
gave her hand to another lady. I certainly did not 
expect the exhortation to operate so soon, or at least 
in this way, but verily I was not displeased — no one 
was displeased. On the contrary, a wave of delicious 
feeling passed over the whole assembly. Many eyes 
were filled with tears, and methinks in that moment 
the God of love looked propitious down. Mark the 
sequel ! that lady at that time had two sons and a 
daughter, all grown, and all yet unconverted. Before 
the protracted meeting closed, she had the unspeaka- 
ble satisfaction of seeing all three rejoicing in the hope 
of glory ! What is this but the broad seal of heaven's 
approbation ? " Beloved/' says John, a let us love one 
another, for love is of God, and every one that loveth 
is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth 
not, knoweth not God, for God is love." 

2. I recollect another case which occurred in Yir- 



APPENDIX. 



371 



ginia. Whilst addressing professors of religion, I, as 
my custom was, urged the great duty of forgiveness, 
and in order to give greater effect to my exhortations, 
I stated the case already mentioned, as one pleasing to 
God and worthy of all commendation, and then made 
a remark of this kind : "If there are any present in 
similar circumstances, let them go and do likewise." 
Whilst I was yet speaking, an elder of the church 
reached out his hand over the benches to one who sat 
at some distance, and with much feeling said, "Neigh- 
bour, here is my hand." Another elder also arose, a 
man of silvery locks, and hurrying to another part of 
the house, gave his hand to an individual, who grasp- 
ed it, and said aloud, "This is the very thing I have 
long wished for." Need I say that a revival followed ! 
Of the truth we had blessed times. How beautiful 
are the words of the Apostle, " And be ye kind one to 
another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven 
you." 

3. In , State of , lived a minister of the 

gospel, a man of some considerable wealth and tal- 
ents, but in a wretchedly backslidden state. He had 
instituted three law suits, two of them against Mr. P., 
an amiable man, and a warm-hearted Christian. Emi- 
nent lawyers were employed, and the suits were of 
such a nature as, if brought into court, would have 
thrown the whole community into a ferment. Whilst 
matters were in this condition, a revival commenced 
in the neignborhood. Both were much interested. 
The minister began to feel that he had indulged too 
much of a contentious spirit Receiving, moreover, 
a letter at this time from a connexion of his, re- 
cently converted, he wept, was completely softened 
down, and forthwith gave directions to his lawyers to 



372 



APPENDIX. 



drop the suits. The very next morning, if I mistake 
not, he went to a prayer meeting, where he met Mr. 
P., offered him his hand, and told him that he should 
prosecute his suits no further. Mr. P., much affected, 
threw himself upon his shoulders, and wept aloud. 
O ! it was a scene of thrilling interest. Methinks 
hovering angels looked in each other's faces, smiled, 
and began to chant David's beautiful psalm : 

"Behold how good and how pleasant it is for bre- 
thren to dwell together in unity ! It is like the pre- 
cious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon 
the beard, even Aaron's beard : that went down to the 
skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and 
as the dew that descended upon the mountains of 
Zion : for there the Lord commanded the blessing, 
even life for evermore." 

4. I recollect yet another case. During the pro- 
gress of a delightful meeting in a country church in 
East Tennessee, having occasion to speak on the sub- 
ject of forgiving injuries, I stated one or two of the 
preceding cases, and then, in substance spoke as fol- 
lows : a I know nothing of the state of things in this 
church, for T am here only as a stranger, in a strange 
land. I know not whether there has been any diffi- 
culty or variance between any now present. Neither 
your beloved pastor nor any other person has said a 
word to me on the subject, but drawing a bow at a 
venture, I will repeat a remark which I am in the 
habit of making in many places • — Is there a person 
in the world with whom you would not shake hands? 
If so, I solemnly charge you now, in the presence of 
God and his elect angels, and before Jesus Christ, 
who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appear- 
ing and his kingdom — I solemnly charge you, pass 



APPENDIX. 



373 



an act of forgiveness this moment, and seize the ear- 
liest opportunity to extend the hand in token of for- 
giveness. ( Beloved,' continued I, ' let us love one 
another, for love is of God, and everyone that loveth 
is born of God and knoweth God ; he that loveth not, 
knoweth not God; for God is love.'" Saying these 
things, in a few moments I pronounced the benedic- 
tion, and as the congregation were beginning to dis- 
perse, two gentlemen,* who had, it seems, been literal- 
ly at swords' points, looked at each other, and rushed 
into each other's embrace, weeping abundantly. O ! 
it was a lovely and touching sight! It was the tri- 
umph of grace over corrupt human nature. Surely 
religion comes to bless and not to curse. It comes to 
change hearts, to convert the lion into a lamb, the 
vulture into a dove. 

WHERE SIN ABOUNDED, GRACE DID MUCH MORE ABOUND. 

1. Some time ago, a meeting of several days con- 
tinuance, was held in G — , a pleasant summer retreat 
in South-Carolina. Awakening influences went abroad 
upon the people almost from its very commencement. 
To increase the solemnity, the Providence of God 
concurred with the preaching of the word. Death 
upon the pale horse came and took away a victim. 
A young lawyer was cut down in the midst of his 
years! All classes of persons now seemed to be 
aroused to a concern for their undying, souls. There 
was one young man, however, the only son of his 
mother, and she a widow, who took his stand openly 

* One some time before had actually attemptod to take the 
life of the other. 

32* 



374 



APPENDIX. 



on the side of opposition. He was an avowed infidel. 
He threatened to lay the hand of violence upon the 
ministers, and once made this remark: "When I die 
I will go to hell, and make a row there, and drive the 
Almighty from his throne!" How impious! How 
daring! That evening he went to church, and as 
usual, endeavoured to make sport of what was said 
from the pulpit. It pleased God, however, to send a 
word like an arrow to his heart. His sins flashed 
upon his view. He literally trembled upon his seat, 
and after the benediction was pronounced, he came 
vip to me, grasped my hand, and with great anxiety 
asked what he must do to be saved? It was but 
another case of the Philippian jailor, and I could do 
no better than reply in the words of the Apostle, "Be- 
lieve in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be 
saved." Two days after this, I saw him, all joy and 
peace in believing. O! it would have done any one 
good to have seen his dear mother throwing her arms 
around him, and saying, in the joy of her heart, "This 
my son was dead and is alive again, was lost and is 
found!" Subsequently this young man went to the 
north, to prepare to preach "the glorious gospel of 
the blessed God." 

2. A few weeks after the meeting just mentioned, 

one of a similar kind was held at , about fifty 

miles distant.* The first sermon was preached on 
Tuesday night, and by Thursday afternoon the wa- 
ters were troubled, and a goodly number had stepped 
into the pool. There was one man, however, who 
had no idea of such " carryings on? He was a very 
irreligious man, and although he heard perhaps every 
sermon, he liked none of them, but generally returned 
from church in a rage. On Thursday evening I was 



APPENDIX. 



375 



invited to take tea at the house where he lodged. 
When he heard it he was angry. When he saw me 
coming, he, as I have heen told, swore terribly. On 
entering the house I was introduced by a friend, who 
immediately retired. Left alone with this man, I 
confess I felt very awkwardly fixed, and scarcely 
knowing what to say, I made a remark of this kind: 
" Well, sir, I think we have had a very interesting 
meeting this afternoon." Immediately he burst into 
tears, crying aloud, 11 Mercy ! mercy ! Lord have 
mercy upon me!" "Shall I pray for you, my dear 
sir?" said L "Most willingly, most willingly," re- 
plied he. When 1 finished praying, he seemed so 
bowed down he could scarcely rise from his knees. 
That night there was no rest for him. The next 
day he was found amongst the anxious — a few days 
after, amongst the people of God! and is now, it 
seems, a valuable member of the church. God be 
praised ! 

3. The case of Dr. B., brought, in at the eleventh 
hour, is yet more remarkable. Licensed by the Pres- 
bytery of , in the year 1793, he preached a few 

sermons, (he entered the ministry purely, it seems, to 
please his parents,) then abandoned the ministry and 
became a deist. In the year 1797, he declared him- 
self an atheist. From that period, and for many a 
long year afterwards, even until his locks became 
hoary with age, he waged open war with the God 
of the Bible. I had heard much of Dr. B. as a man 
of influence, and one who done immense mischief. I 
confess my curiosity was excited to see the man. At 
a protracted meeting held at M — , Dr. B. was present. 
He was awakened — was brought under deep and pun- 
gent conviction. I conversed with him. He was in 



376 



APPENDIX. 



an awful state of mind ; for, though evidently under 
Divine influence, he had a great many objections to 
the Bible— quarrelled with Moses— did not like his 
account of the creation of the world. "Dr. B.," said 
I, at last, "if you will indulge such a disposition to 
cavil, there is no need to say any thing more to yon, 
sir." I immediately changed the conversation. The 
next morning at prayer meeting, the Dr. requested 
permission to make a remark. Permission was grant- 
ed. He arose, with much emotion, and said, " My 
friends, I have been a most flagitious sinner." He 
went on in this strain for about ten minutes, and then 
sat down in great distress of mind. It was a most af- 
fecting sight ! That day, I think it was, he was 
brought to the very borders of despair. "There is no 
hope," said he ; " Saul of Tarsus cannot be compared 
with me — I must be damned !" " O no," said I, "the 
blessed Jesus is both able and willing to save you." 
" No, sir," replied he with great emotion, "there is no 
possibility of my salvation — I must be damned." 
About 10 o'clock he was conducted into his chamber. 
I slept in the same room ; but there was no sleep for 
Dr. B. He felt that he was a lost sinner ! Tossing 
himself about in the bed, he sighed, and groaned, and 
wept. All was dark and cheerless to his soul until 
about one o'clock, when he spoke aloud, and calling 
me by name, said, " Mr. B. are you awake?" When 
informed — "O, sir," exclaimed he, "I feel a change ! 
I can accept the Saviour now ! If Jesus Christ does 
not save me, I am damned forever ! I am happy ! I 
am happy ! I would not part with my present feel- 
ings for ten thousand worlds." " Well," said I, " Dr. 
B., I suppose you can say, ' O to grace, how great a 
debtor.'" Clapping his hands together, he exclaimed 



APPENDIX. 



377 



with great emphasis, "The very thing, sir, the very 
thing !" As he said this, he arose and began to dress 
himself. No sun had yet lighted up the eastern hori- 
zon, but what was better still, the Star of Hope had 
risen upon his soul ! 

" Brightest star that ever rose. 
Sweetest star that ever shone." 

The next day, in the presence of the great congre- 
gation, he presented himself as a miracle of grace, and 
told what the Lord had done for his soul. I suspect, 
that moment angels in heaven struck a note loud and 
long, rich and sweet. Some ten years after this, I 
mentioned this case to a certain lady in conversation. 
" O Sir," said she, "Dr B. is my brother-in-law." "In- 
deed ! said I. Well, is he still alive?" " Yes," said 
she, " he is still alive." "And, Madam," continued I, 
how does he hold on ?" " O, very well," said she, 
" very well ; he is a member of the church, and a 
useful member too." Surely grace is triumphant, and 
reigns like a conqueror. 

MATERNAL INFLUENCE. 

Some few years since, when in Texas, I unexpect- 
edly lighted upon a military post. The soldiers, so 
far as their spiritual interests were concerned, had been 
sadly neglected. No one had preached to them, nor 
had any one, it seems, given them a single Bible or 
tract — no man cared for their souls. Having obtained 
permission of the commander, I preached several times 
to them On one occasion, in the midst of my dis- 
course, I observed — "Soldiers ! most^ of you, I sup- 
pose, are from the United States, and are perhaps en- 
tirely regardless of the interests of your souls ; but I 



378 



APPENDIX. 



wonder if some of you have not pious mothers at 
home, who have loved yon, and prayed for you, aye, 
and^have wept on your account." Having made these, 
or very similar remarks, I cast my eyes rapidly over 
the faces of those before me, and observed one who 
was exceedingly wrought upon. Every muscle of 
his face seemed to be moved, and the tears began to 
trickle down his cheeks. Then addressing him parti- 
cularly — " Soldier !" said I, " come here — I want to 
talk with yon." Sure enough, he immediately follow- 
ed me, and when we had gone a little way off — "Sol- 
dier !" said I, "tell me — Have not you a pious mother?" 
Bursting into a flood of tears — " Yes, sir," said he, "I 
have a very pious mother, a member of the Methodist 
church in Pennsylvania." Here he wept aloud — so 
loud that he might have been heard a very consider- 
able distance. After pointing out the way of salva- 
tion to him, through a crucified Saviour, as clearly as 
I could, I left him. Some two or three days after I 
called again, and foun j him rejoicing in the hope of 
glory. He had found his mother's Saviour and his 
mother's God ! Heavens bless mothers, pious mother's 
all the world over! and let all the angels of God say 
Amen. Thank God, I too had a pious mother. 



THE END. 



